


True Colors

by Taua



Category: Naruto
Genre: Additional Tags May Be Added, Anal Sex, Art, Drama, Drug Abuse, Excessive Drinking, Friendship, Gen, Language, M/M, MBN Sequel, Nudity, Orgasm, Other, Penetration, Pummeling, References to Another Story, Violence, Violent Fight, alternative universe, blowjob, domestic situations, emotional hurt and comfort, eventually smut, relationship, safe sex, self-loathe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-27
Updated: 2018-04-14
Packaged: 2019-03-10 04:26:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 39,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13494934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taua/pseuds/Taua
Summary: Even after Naruto's awakening, some problems remain. Relationships are still difficult and wounds too fresh, the feelings raw and intense.And then Naruto asks Sai for a favor:He is supposed to observe Sasuke's brother, Itachi, and look for an opportunity for Naruto to improve their relationship.However the more time Sai and Itachi spend together... the more they seem to turn into something else.(Sequel to My Beloved Naruto)





	1. A Simple Favor

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Zanya (caidanu)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/caidanu/gifts).



After some last pushes on a couple of the keys, Itachi leaned back on his chair and adjusted his reading glasses. With highly focused eyes he took one final, quick look over the contract he just wrote and then hit the print-button on the upper corner of his keyboard. It was a big, important deal, therefore Itachi took matters in his own hands when it came down to prepare it.

While the printer was working loudly in the corner, he reached for the headpiece of the phone settled on his desk. The only thing left was a signature of himself and the co-owner, then he could pass the papers on to their customer.

He hit the speed dial and waited for the other end to respond.

Once it rang for the third time Itachi started narrowing his eyes – an action he was performing more and more often lately.

Eventually somebody picked up the phone, a very hesitant, “Hello?” coming out of the speaker at his ear. Ever so slightly his hand tightened around the plastic.

“This is Itachi Uchiha,” he introduced himself despite the fact the secretary knew full well who was calling. His name was flashing over her display that very moment. “I am looking for Sasuke,” he added with a neutral tone, yet the secretary remained intimidated; her voice gave it instantly away as soon as she spoke.

“I-I'm sorry, Sir... H-he just left an hour ago...” she whispered, so lowly and insecure Itachi could hardly understand her.

The breath he drew in was too loud for his own taste. “Thank you for the information. Have a good evening.” Without waiting for an answer he hung up on her, his hand retreating immediately from the phone. For a while he kept staring at it, suddenly feeling his blood boil.

Why was she always so afraid when he called? Itachi would understand it if he were anywhere near Sasuke when it came to express his more ill feelings. But, unlike his dramatic little brother, Itachi always made sure to appear controlled and collected despite whatever he felt. So, why would the stupid woman sitting a few floors under his own office _always_ react so completely terrified when he called? He didn't get it, and truth be told, her attitude was more than riling him. Perhaps he _should_ give her an actual reason to be afraid of him. Maybe something like a written warning.

Sighing Itachi reached up his face to remove the glasses. What was he thinking? The secretary was completely innocent. It was unfair to vent his inner anger on her while the target of all his problems was elsewhere, yet again luring Sasuke away like the light attracted the moths.

If Itachi had somebody to blame for his currently more than short patience, it was Naruto Uzumaki. It had all started with that unworthy piece of trash who ruined half of his life in the matter of months.

About one and a half years prior, Naruto Uzumaki was involved in a horrible accident which resulted in him laying in a coma for over a year. Since they had been rather close before, Itachi did feel sorry for the kid – at first. Soon Itachi had more precious things to worry about, namely his younger brother and, at that time, lover of Naruto, Sasuke...

For a moment Itachi nearly drifted away – but only nearly.

Before he could lose himself in mindless and dark thoughts, he focused back on his computer, deciding to get at least a bit more work done before he'd head home himself.

He failed though.

Hissing in frustration he hit the delete button harder than necessary before he got up from his chair. More irritated than before Itachi walked down the side of his office, hands tightly folded behind his back, until he came to a halt in front of a large painting. Neutrally he stared up at it, his eyes following the black curve of the ink while crimson colored dots were placed above it. With a bit of fantasy the ink looked like a large, black snake – what Itachi liked. He was born in the year of the snake and had found the creatures elegant and fascinating while also fast and dangerous. It was easy for him to associate with those animals and find similarities to his own being.

Ever since he got the drawing a few months before, Itachi found himself calming as soon as he stood in front of it – his mind narrowing from the raging sensations down to the important essence.

Controlled again, Itachi eventually turned away from the drawing and packed up his briefcase.

~*~

“Sai? You heard what I said?” somebody asked and, for the first time, Sai looked up from his sketchbook. He had just been rubbing his finger over his recent work, adding some shading to the picture. His finger still had the silver of the pencil coated over the tip, hovering above a line he just touched.

“No,” he answered, plain honest. When he talked to his friends, Sai made always sure to be as honest and direct as he could, his stomach clenching strangely at the thought of lying to them.

Though, contrary to everything his books said, Naruto seemed all but happy about his answer.

Throwing back his head – which resulted in him hitting it painfully on the backrest of his wheelchair – he let both of his arms hang down on either side of himself, as to add a little more drama to his gesture. “Why don't you _ever_ listen to me when I speak?!” he moaned before he lifted one of his arms again, the hand gently rubbing the sore spot on the back of his head. Naruto's legs were still rather weak because of the coma, but his arms were almost completely recovered again. While only three months before he could barely hold up a few sheets of paper, by now he could even sit into a wheelchair without help.

Truly amazing, given his case. Sai had been rather impressed, too.

… It didn't mean he'd abandon his own convictions though.

“Because most of what you say is silly garbage, unless it's a serious situation,” he explained with a kind smile, the rubber he had used still in his other hand.

“Asshole!” Naruto snapped, his body jerking so much his chair shook slightly. “And just by the way, this _is_ a serious matter!”

Eventually Sai put away his sketchbook and the rubber, laying it down into the warm grass next to his other tools. “Please repeat what you said,” he stated while sitting more comfortably down. It was still quite hot outside, even when fall was around the corner already, so he had decided to rest on the grass rather than choosing one of the many benches around the hospital.

Heaving a sigh Naruto shook his head lightly. “So, I was asking if you could help me out with Itachi,” he repeated, earning himself a confused look.

“How could I help you? I don't particularly know him.” Sai lifted a hand and grabbed his chin in thought, still not entirely sure what he was supposed to do.

“That doesn't matter.” Naruto grinned from ear to ear as he spoke. “I pretty much need you to observe him a bit... and since you hang out a lot because of the drawings you make for him, you're perfect for it!”

Sai arched an eyebrow at him, his confusion so obvious it was showing even on his features.

Still grinning Naruto explained, “You know, 'Tachi is quite angry with me, but I want us to get along again. So, it would really, _really_ help me if you could pick up some things when he's around you! Like, if he has anything he wants to have, new hobbies... just anything you can find out.”

It took a moment before Sai came up with an answer. “You want me to spy on Itachi Uchiha to see if there is any opportunity for you to buy his sympathy again?” He stared intensely at Naruto, watching him lift a hand and scratch the back of his head sheepishly.

“Well, I wouldn't call it _spying_...” he murmured in response.

“Not to mention the chances you can bribe an Uchiha with bought presents are non-existant given their wealth,” Sai neutrally added, his hand inching towards the pencil laying on the grass next to his leg. He suddenly had the urge to have something between his fingers, as if that would help him think of a more positive answer. Naruto merely gave him a look at his words though.

“Actually, I'd rather want you to keep an eye on him. He's,” He trailed off, a strange gleam laying in his eyes for a moment. “Different. So, since you turned so good at observing people and reading the mood and you _also_ got the opportunity to spend time with him, I wondered if you could help me understand.”

Pressing his lips together briefly, Sai reflected over the words. “Why not asking Sasuke? As his brother, he'd know Itachi best, wouldn't he?”

Not that he didn't want to help Naruto out; more, Sai wanted to aid his friend the best he could. And, in his eyes, the best source of information after Itachi himself was Sasuke. He could gather intelligence far better and faster than Sai and probably get more intimate information, too. Knowing Itachi and his reserved attitude he doubted to ever manage to squeeze out anything of value, no matter what he did.

A low whine came from Naruto, almost like the one of a pathetic animal. “I can't talk with him about it,” he whispered, so lowly Sai almost missed it.

“Why?” The question was obvious, yet Sai voiced it out anyway. That was also one of the tips he read in his books about socializing.

Naruto rolled his eyes with a sigh. “He's already sitting between the chairs. I don't want to pressure him further,” he explained, the look in his eyes changing to something akin sadness and pain. It was so strong Sai nearly felt the emotion himself.

“So... You ask me to just observe Itachi, right?” he asked, finally understanding the misery haunting Naruto. For his dear friend he could do such a favor. Besides – it didn't seem to be all too difficult to do in the first place.

The smile Naruto beamed at him was so bright and large, it fit perfectly to the summer around them. “Yeah, checking out what he's doing and also what thoughts and moods he has. It would be really amazing if you helped me out!”

“I'd be happy to,” Sai confirmed with a smile. He really enjoyed the feeling of being an assistance to his friends. At times the sensation was nearly overwhelming, especially when he was showered gratitude like now.

If possible, Naruto smiled even broader at the words. “But now, say, how are things going with Sakura?” he asked and for a moment Sai felt heat rising to his cheeks.

Quickly looking away he replied, “I think she's doing alright...” He couldn't help his chest feeling warm when he thought about her – something which always happened since Naruto fell into a coma and they started spending so much time together.

Naruto chuckled softly at the answer and opened his mouth, almost like he was about to add something, but then he suddenly cut himself off again. Through the corner of his eye Sai watched as a figure pressed up close to the wheelchair, its apparently complete weight leaning against it while it wrapped his arms around the still silent Naruto.

“Who'd have ever expected to find you here,” the dark voice stated before its owner placed a gentle kiss against the side of Naruto's head.

“What, the weather is nice!” Naruto stated while turning his head a little, barely enough so he could face the new arrival.

“That's no reason for putting you into danger though.” Sasuke's voice was strained as he answered before briefly pulling back. With narrowed eyes he stared at a spot a little further away, just where the pathway started leading downhill. “You're in no condition to be out here by yourself. What if you rolled down? You really think you could stop yourself in your condition?” he asked, his hands tightening around the handles on the back of the wheelchair.

Naruto merely rolled his eyes. “I can't stay inside _forever_! Besides, Sai was with me!” He nodded towards the grass slightly to his left, just were Sai was sitting idly with his sketchbook and supplies. Only then Sasuke seemed to actually notice him.

“Good evening,” he greeted, lacking real motivation. Sai just nodded as a reply, his hands busy picking up all his tools and pushing them back into his bag.

Naruto noticed it though. “Hey, why do you pack up? Aren't you staying a while longer?” He undid the breaks of his wheelchair and turned slightly, making them face each other.

Sai only kept putting his items in the simple backpack he carried along, calmly answering, “It's time for me to go. I have some things to fix before calling it a night.” With that he shouldered his backpack while getting up, slowly patting the bit of dust off his clothing. “Have a nice evening, and also good appetite,” he added with a gentle smile, chuckling lightly when Naruto furrowed his eyebrows at the words.

Once he looked back over his shoulder at Sasuke, who was holding up a towel with something quartered in it, he cheered, “Bento! Yay!” He even threw his arms up, much like a cheerful kid, and the wheelchair rocked a little at the action.

Immediately Sasuke's hands were back on the handles, almost dropping their dinner at the sudden movement. He cursed colorfully, however kept his voice so low Sai didn't catch all the words.

Still, the sudden turn in the mood was obvious to him:

The carefree, light atmosphere was replaced by a slight chill of fear and tension.

~*~

How long he had already been in the basement Itachi didn't know. He had gotten home a while ago and directly headed for the floor below, into the small training room he got installed once his back began causing problems. While he could easily afford a gym and a personal trainer, he preferred the calmness and silence he had at home. Over the years he got a few tools and machines, mostly to stay in shape and avoid pain from all the sitting in his office, and at some point Itachi also bought a punching bag.

He had to admit, he could vent quite well with it. The stress would leave him alone while he hit the bag until exhaustion, providing him a deep, restful sleep in addition.

Though, lately he hit the bag way more often than usual.

Since Itachi liked to train bare handed, his knuckles and hands would hurt most the next day after he worked the punching bag. How much pain he had exactly varied a lot. Sometimes he barely suffered from muscle soreness, other times he hit the bag so often his skin tore a little.

Very much like now.

The sweat stung when it got into the bloody wounds on his knuckles, but Itachi ignored it. Or, better, he was so focused he barely noticed it.

For the last few months, Itachi's stress level rose much higher than average. The reasons were only few though; Sasuke's obvious suffering because of Naruto, their more than complicated and tensed relationship since then, and lastly Itachi's own inability to change the situation.

The last reason ate especially away at him.

The accident had affected and changed Sasuke drastically, even when he wasn't physically hurt that time. At first he was so shocked and devastated he wouldn't leave the hospital for a few weeks, and shortly after he suffered from strong depressions. They were so severe he even got an eating-disorder and an almost-addiction to pills out of it. To make it worse, the media was putting additional pressure on him, calling his accidental overdose of sleeping pills a vain try of suicide. Naruto's friends were also rather rough, blaming Sasuke for what happened and sometimes even physically attacking him.

During those horrible months, Itachi had tried everything to offer his beloved brother support. Like the time when their parents passed away unexpectedly, he took the role of a responsible guardian and did his best to be there for Sasuke. Itachi knew painfully well how hurt he felt, how abandoned, but never did Sasuke actually lean on him or open up. Time passed on and though Itachi did everything he could – talking to him, offering to stay over at his place, assuring him of his presence – Sasuke got more and more lost, up to the point of no return.

And no matter what Itachi did, he could never reach out to his beloved brother.

In fact, Sasuke became more of a stranger every day. While before he was lively, though reserved when it came to express his emotions, he turned into nothing more than an empty shell, lacking drive and happiness. Sasuke had lost his spirit and when everything kept pressuring him, he eventually collapsed under the heavy weight.

It was when Itachi found him alone in his apartment, nearly dead because of sleeping pills, that he realized he had no longer an impact on Sasuke. Then, once his barely conscious brother was brought to the ER to get his stomach pumped out, Itachi became painfully aware how helpless he was.

Back then, when he became Sasuke's father and mother, he used to affect him. Itachi was the much needed pillar in Sasuke's life, constantly there and ready for whenever he needed him. It felt natural to offer advice when Sasuke got stuck with a problem and Itachi was overwhelmed when he got his beloved little brother to finally smile again after the loss of their parents. Their bond had become much stronger and stable during the years, trust and love being their strongest feelings for each other.

But once Itachi sat on the hard, uncomfortable plastic chair in the waiting room, unsure if Sasuke would be able to make it, he became aware just how shattered their relationship was. He had missed or hadn't been able to help Sasuke out of the depression, hadn't seen the signs in time, hadn't been strong enough to force himself into Sasuke's view. Itachi had failed to understand the accident of Naruto and what came along with it had taken a much bigger toll than he first thought.

After that day, Itachi made up his mind about a few things. For one, he was going to force his authority and advice onto Sasuke again. Further he would control him more and also keep an eye on his developments. He also wanted to show Sasuke what a shadow of his former self he had become and ease him into the idea his beloved Naruto might never awake again. It was going to be painful and probably Itachi would get horrible, hurting things thrown into his face, but for Sasuke he was willing to take any kind of pain and suffer...

Pressing his lips tightly together, Itachi glared at the punching bag and started hitting it more forcefully as the memory came back haunting him, along with the ill feelings. Perhaps it was unfair, and maybe he should reconsider-

The door to the small studio opened after a polite knocking.

Sighing Itachi kept punching the bag, this time putting aimed hits on it rather than brutally and randomly smashing it. He needed to get a hold of himself again – when he was too caught up in his powerful feelings he wouldn't be able to properly think. Unlike Sasuke, he was aware ones needed a cool head for acting the right way.

“Sir, dinner will be ready in a few. The cook requested if you have intentions to take it,” the entered man said, his arms perfectly crossed behind his back. His expensive and exquisite looking attire crashed horribly with the rebellious green of his hair, but Itachi never really regarded him because of it. Since he did his job more than excellently, Itachi had never seen much of a reason pushing his butler to change.

“Thank you, Zetsu. I will have dinner after a shower,” he replied in a dry tone. After one last punch his hands gently parted, catching the large bag easily when it rocked back and holding it still until the dynamic left it completely.

Zetsu gave a bow before retreating silently. That was what Itachi liked about his butler; the man knew how to be discreet and God knew he could sneak better than a ninja. Back when he first employed him, Sasuke had been amusingly crept out by the man with the green hair and jumped a mile high when Zetsu suddenly answered to whatever he had said or asked.

Now that he stopped his stress relief, Itachi became aware of the stinging on his hands. His face slightly frowned when he turned his palms around, slowly clenching and unclenching his fingers so he could measure the pain better. The leather of the punching bag had turned rough by now – he should buy a new one soon. Alternatively he could simply wear gloves, but he rather worked the bag with his bare hands.

Turning away from the item, he headed for a small door by the side of the room. As soon as he entered he started stripping, feeling the sweat covering his body. Itachi could easily take a bath in the master bathroom on the upper floors, but the idea of running around dripping with juices didn't suit him, though he could do as he pleased in his own house. Therefore he had a small bath installed in the basement as well – a simple, white room with a shower stall, a toilet, and a sink with a mirror above it – so he could get presentable again without having to cross the halls.

After washing his hands with a low hiss, Itachi reached for a fresh towel but stopped himself in mid motion. A tiny smile laid over his lips when he noticed the suit he had dropped in a basket settled on the cupboard was removed, instead neatly folded, comfortable clothing laying there. Next to it was also a small bowl with healing crème and a few white bandages.

Zetsu had downright supreme sneaking abilities; Itachi hadn't noticed him ever entering, let alone take care of his things in the bathroom.

Not wanting to waste too much time, Itachi opened the tab in the shower stall before removing his pants and underwear. Moments later he was already standing under the warm spray, his back leaning against the cool tiles while the water cascaded down on his face.

Oddly, the memory of the time after his parents died came back to him that very moment. Itachi recalled how he used the shower as a last hideout, retreating there when the responsibility and sorrow became too much to bear. The people he employed to keep the house running wouldn't dare entering when he was inside the bathroom and Sasuke had no real interest in seeing him naked either. So, basically, the shower in the bathroom was the safest spot of the entire house for Itachi – there he could allow himself to take a break without worrying about somebody seeing him in such a weak state. And, when his world narrowed down to the glassy walls of the shower, Itachi found himself thinking clearer. Often he'd have a plan settled then, knowing what he had to do to fix just anything which was wrong or didn't work the way he wanted.

However, he could stand in the shower for the rest of his life now – he wouldn't be able to come up with a solution this time. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> Since so many of you asked, I decided to look through this story again and re-post it here as well.  
> This time it's not open to visitors of AO3 since there will be some smut eventually v.v and I don't like kids reading inapropiate stuff. 
> 
> Anyway, I am working on some other stuff in the background and being busy with work and sports, the updates may come as they come.  
> Quite a few things went wrong in this fic wording vise and though it's less than in MBN, I seriously need to edit it before I post it.  
> Back then I wrote this fic in honor to the Itachi & Sai Day, hence why they are the main couple in this story :D  
> I enjoyed writing this a TON more than MBN, which you may notice in the voice as well xD 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy another view of the events from MBN and how things developed afterward. 
> 
> Greetings,  
> _T


	2. First Impressions

Subconsciously Itachi closed his hand into a fist and let it fall hard against the tiled wall. A quick movement, a light lifting of his right arm and a fast swing down again. The underside of his fist stung already, especially the little finger, and he could feel the burn of the sore spots on his knuckles at the action.

Even more frustrated than already Itachi washed his body off quickly, deciding he'd take a proper bath the following morning. He used to sleep only little and bad anyhow, often ending up awake in the early morning and having way too much spare time before he'd need to drive off to the office.

Eventually he finished the quick shower and moved on to dry his body. Next he combed his hair, the black bangs looking like liquid midnight against his skin. Itachi decided to leave his hair open, convinced it would dry faster that way. It may still be summer, but the nights began getting colder again; he didn't want to risk waking up with a stiff neck because of the damp hair pooling under his head.

Shaking his head a bit once he was done, Itachi moved on to put on the clothes Zetsu brought before. He was pleased to find it was his favorite black shirt with the wide collar and a pair of comfortable slacks. Once fully dressed, he also put a bit of the crème over his knuckles and covered the tender skin up with the flexible bandages. It burned a little, but it was still bearable.

Refreshed Itachi left the little bathroom and went up the stairs to the ground floor. He headed straight for the dining room, sitting down on his favorite chair facing the wall. Not long ago his preferred spot was on the exact opposite, the seat allowing Itachi a look out of the large windows when he ate. But since he stumbled over a quite talented artist, Itachi found himself liking to watch the large drawing instead of the area outside.

It was a big, white canvas with a big bird drawn in its middle. It was very artistic though, borderline abstract even; the only indication for a bird was the smooth curve of its chest and the clear outline of the pecker. Nothing alike feathers could be seen, the bird being mostly drawn of black lines which, blurred together, appeared like actual wings and a tail. In the corner was also the signature of the artist, small and discreet, reading a curly 'S' and a rather sharply written 'ai'.

While admiring the work, Zetsu appeared next to Itachi out of nowhere. Silently he placed the plate with the dinner down in front of him – a large helping of fresh salad with a few cut stripes of roasted chicken – along with a smaller, longer plate with three Onigiri on it.

Who knew how, but his cook seemed to always feel when Itachi needed his favorite dish.

The delicious scent of the food filling his senses he finally moved over to eating. The mostly cool dish was a welcomed treat these still hot and humid days. There was probably going to be a larger storm later the night, given what the weather forecast predicted.

Instead of leaving like before, Zetsu remained next to Itachi while he ate. For the most time there was silence, only interrupted by the noises Itachi made with his silverware. It wasn't before he moved on to his Onigiri that Zetsu began speaking.

“Tomorrow's plan covers focus on business matters in the morning and various meetings in the afternoon. In the evening, Master Sasuke will be here for dinner. May I know if you wish any specific dish for then?” Seemingly out of nowhere Zetsu pulled out a small, black device – his own organizer – and prepared to take down any kind of notes.

Swallowing down the mouthful of rice, Itachi took a moment for his reply. “Anything would be fine, but make sure it has a lot of calories. His weight still leaves a lot to be desired.” He stared at the bitten Onigiri in his hand, deep in thoughts. Dinner with Sasuke... if he could Itachi would have those daily, but since the brat woke up again they turned less and less. After all, Sasuke preferred having meals with his _beloved boyfriend_ rather than his caring older brother.

His mood taking a swing for the bad again, Itachi finished up his dinner before announcing he'd retire for the evening. The plans he had were fairly simple – first he would check his personal emails and listen to some music, then get ready for bed. It had been a long, frustrating day already and his body would need the recovery provided by his soft mattress and comfortable covers. Hopefully his knuckles healed nicely during his sleep.

Once on top of the stairs Itachi moved immediately to the left, heading for his home office. Though, the room had more of a free-time lounge; a large flatscreen TV hung on the wall, a comfortable, large couch standing opposite it in some distance. Right behind it was a big shelf full of books of all kinds, from comics to prose literature and scientific lectures. On the other side of the room was the spacious desk with a PC placed on it, boxes the size of a grown man standing in the corners of the room to provide the best sound effects.

When Itachi listened to some music, he wanted it to be at least enjoyable.

First of all Itachi pushed the button on the computer, knowing it would take a bit to boot. Next he eached for a flat, little remote and turned on the stereo music player. Immediately calm tunes filled the room, the volume rather down and beat slow and sensual. He liked that kind of music when he was tensed, the gentle notes and sounds managing to calm him down again.

Listening to the background noises Itachi took a seat on his large chair, tipping his password into the keyboard before his desktop opened to him. Without much of a thought he clicked on his email program – and noticed he had two new messages

Before checking on those he quickly wrote an email to Sasuke, telling him he should immediately come to his office the next morning to sign the contract. He also reminded him of their dinner the following day, half-way threatening him to dare turning it down _again_.

By the time he sent the email, the song had changed to one with a duet of guitar and violin. But somehow Itachi didn't feel like it – and pushed a few buttons on the remote until he reached one of the slower ballades in his playlist.

Eventually he checked on his inbox.

The first email was from a newsletter. He clicked on it, quickly scanning over the content before closing it. Nothing there caught his interest.

However, the second email has his attention immediately.

 

From: [Sai@sai-art.com](mailto:Sai@sai-art.com)

To: [itachi-uchiha@private.com](mailto:itachi-uchiha@private.com)

Subject: Update on works 20 & 21

 

Itachi,

 

The drawings are ready with the grounding. Please come by sometime by the end of the week for a check up on the works.

 

Respectfully,

Sai

 

Leaning back on his chair, Itachi tilted his head to the side.

Suddenly the end of his week turned very interesting to him.

It was always nice to visit Sai's studio – it was a truly inspiring place, full of aesthetic art and beautiful drawings. Itachi had thought he was captured when he visited the first gallery of the upcoming artist, but once he stepped into the studio he was so overwhelmed it had almost hurt leaving again.

If Itachi had a weakness beside the relationship to Sasuke, it was art. For as long as he could remember he had been interested into it, so much he would have studied modern and classy art if his parents hadn't passed away so early. Originally Itachi wanted to avoid the company all together, though his economical skills were exceptional. To him it had never been attracting to sit in an office and boss around people all day. No, he wanted to do his own thing, something he enjoyed, and leave the company and everything which came along with it to Sasuke. Of course he would have helped in case Sasuke needed assistance the first few years, but in the long run Itachi wanted to have a job where he dealt with art.

The sudden death of their parents crushed all his plans in an instant. He had been a young teen back then, barely finished high school, Sasuke still way too little to take over a company of such a size. So, for the sake of his brother, Itachi stepped into the role and got so involved in the business matters he wouldn't be able to quit in the next couple of years.

However unable to completely let go of his passion, Itachi took the opportunity and made sure to at least decorate his company and home with as much art as he could. Though, meeting Sai put it all to a whole new level. His art simply responded to Itachi's difficult taste so wonderfully he quickly made a contract with him, ordering enough art to replace all the paintings he possessed with Sai's works. He was an inspiring, interesting character – the couple of hours he spent in the simple studio and talked to the young artist belonged to the few more enjoyable moments of the last few months.

Quickly Itachi wrote a reply, a small smile gracing his lips as he did so.

 

~*~

 

Stepping slightly back, Sai took in the entire picture. The canvas he was using was very big – six foot high and ten long – and he was all but used to such sizes yet. However, for his new art exhibition he needed something new, something fresh; reaching out to new frontiers, so to say.

For one of the first tries it didn't come out too bad... But now he found himself at a crossroad.

He had to add another color, however Sai wasn't sure which one would suit best. Something intense and rich, a powerful, striking color that would give his work a soul and defy its character. It was always hard to pick for him; Sai's favorite color was dull black. While the color was plain, it also carried a deepness and stability in it he sought quite badly.

While appearing calm and collected on the outside, Sai was often suffering from quite a tension, mostly emotional. Thanks to some... _circumstances_ during his childhood, he would mostly feel strange and awkward around people. He wouldn't know how to properly express his inner feelings and share them with somebody. Only after he met Naruto and his friends did Sai improve on that sector, but then another problem came up: How was he supposed to sort out his emotions and deal with them once they ran all over his being?

In moments when Sai felt so much he was overwhelmed, he liked thinking about the color black. It was steady and simple, not really irritating compared to the brighter colors like orange and yellow and blue. No, black was plain yet elegant, not allowing influences from outside affecting it. Like the black of the nightsky – no matter how bright the streetlamps or the stars and the moon across it were, the blackness of the horizon remained as it was, shrugging the influences off like nothing.

But, sadly, not all of Sai's works could be dull black. Since he, too, wanted to awake emotions in the ones watching his art he _had_ to use colors after all – and choosing the correct one to make the admires feel what he wanted them to.

However that was the next key-question; what Sai wanted and what not was often a mystery to himself, too.

Thankfully he didn't have to bother with the thought all too much. Just when he began shifting his weight, like he often did when he was debating over something, Sai heard an odd noise – a ringing which cut through the air, breaking the calm silence of his studio. It took him a moment to figure out it was his doorbell, and once he did he immediately realized why it rang as well.

Quickly he wiped the black paint off his fingers before he went down the curvy stairs leading to the ground floor. Whoever had rung didn't bother him further, as if they knew he was busy and gave him the time to come answering the door once he was ready.

Eventually Sai reached the door and pulled it open, a smile plastered over his features. He was probably the only person to miss how fake it looked – otherwise he wouldn't use it so often – but his visit was more than understanding towards such odds. In fact, he even wore a polite smile of his own upon entering the studio.

“Good evening, Sai,” he greeted while smoothing out his expensive suit. “How do you do?”

“Hello Itachi,” Sai responded while closing the door. “Thank you for coming by,” he added, simply to start at least a bit of smalltalk.

“Anytime.” Itachi neutrally took a look around, his head turning ever so slightly in the process. Though he had been there so often already, it always seemed like he took the place in thoroughly with every visit. “I wish I could have come sooner though. Are the drawings upstairs?” With that he turned around slightly, barely enough so he could look properly at Sai.

“Yes,” he confirmed, “On the far end. Please, feel free to go ahead.” Sai motioned towards the stairs while he started for a door further down the corridor – which led to his simple apartment. He didn't pay much attention to Itachi so he didn't see his confirming nod. Sai had no urge to keep a close eye on him anyhow. He just wanted to wash his hands properly before he dealt with Itachi. Though he probably wouldn't mind it, Sai felt it was impolite to get the paint all over his hands as well. The first few times he instantly shook Itachi's hand in greeting, completely oblivious to the colors coating his fingers. The strangely understanding smile he received then made him uncomfortable and embarrassed enough to avoid direct skin contact since.

Once he stood in front of the sink, his dark eyes looking at his own reflection in the mirror, Sai began thinking though. Naruto's request came back to him, as well as the promise he gave that time. But how should he proceed? It wasn't like Sai spied on people on a regular basis. Actually, it would be the first time he would closely observe somebody he didn't particularly know. What was he supposed to do and how could he get the information he sought?

Itachi was different, Naruto had implied. That was a valuable hint – if somebody actually knew just what the difference was about. Not having dealt much with him in the past, Sai had simply no idea how to figure out what about Itachi was different from before.

This favor seemed to be quite a handful after all.

While washing his hands off, Sai thought closely about a plan. Realistically it was impossible for him to notice anything, but if he managed to provide Naruto something he could look at and interpret...

As the brilliant idea crossed his mind, Sai froze in mid motion.

It wasn't something he did all too often, but his friends kept saying how good he was at drawing portraits. Sakura and Naruto kept praising how he managed to capture the people on paper, bringing the moods and feelings which differed their expression to the surface, baring them to the viewers. Now if he managed to draw such a picture of Itachi, he could simply bring it to Naruto. Somehow he'd keep his promise that way – namely to help him out – and it was the best idea Sai could currently come up with.

Not much, but it had to do until he had a better idea.

Finally drying his hands on a towel, Sai prepared to join Itachi in the upper floor. Easily he climbed up the stairs to his bright, large studio. In fact, it was so spacious and full of in-progress works it took him a moment to actually spot Itachi.

He stood in front of the large canvas Sai had worked on earlier.

Though he wasn't particularly noisy, Itachi immediately noticed his presence – in a fluid, elegant motion he turned half-way towards Sai, his hands crossed politely behind his back.

“I hope you don't mind me looking at these,” Itachi said, his tone making it impossible to figure out whether it was a question or a plain statement. Given Sai knew him enough already to know Itachi simply did what he wanted to do at times, he assumed the second option was more likely.

“It's fine,” Sai replied, merely to give his formal permission. Itachi just nodded at the answer and turned his focus back on the canvas. His hair had shifted ever so lightly at the movement and somehow the dark of his eyes had softened a bit. Barely, but the change was there, as if he had expected or at least considered Sai might disagree.

Moving again Sai stepped over to the canvas as well, glancing at it briefly before explaining, “Your works are over there, to the right.”

“I saw them already. They look fantastic, just like always,” Itachi replied with something like a gentle smile tugging at the corner of his lips. A faint gesture which turned overly obvious to Sai, now that he knowingly watched the man. “When do you think they will be ready?”

Sai thought for a moment. “Once given your approval I just need to properly fix the paint so it won't fade any time soon. Three more weeks, four if the weather turns colder and damper.”

“Splendid.” With that Itachi turned his head a little, looking down the large canvas. “This one picked up my interest as well. When will it be ready?” he inquired, dark eyes still following the large, smooth lines of the black paint.

For a moment Sai stiffened, though only on the inside. “I'm afraid this one is not up for sale...” he cautiously started. Not that he didn't want another deal with Itachi – it was just he actually planned to submit it for the gallery.

“Whatever the other pays you, I will give you thrice the amount for it,” Itachi quickly retorted, his eyes still on the canvas.

“There is no other buyer,” Sai explained in a neutral tone. “I need this one for an upcoming exhibition. I can make another one if you wish.”

Finally Itachi turned towards him – and there was a strange, new gleam in his eyes when he spoke then, reminding Sai of the first time they met at his first art exhibition. It was a shine full of interest and borderline endearment in the dark orbs, a look so intense it may as well turn a few people's legs into jelly when the gaze met them.

“I like this one a lot, now that I know it's a first even more than before,” Itachi admitted, his eyes still staring directly at Sai. Whatever he was about to say left no room to argue – it was final and, surprisingly, Sai didn't particularly think about his exhibition anymore. The dark orbs had turned much more interesting to him than anything else, at least for the moment.

“Of course I would agree to you presenting it to a larger audience,” Itachi said and, again, a small smile crept over his features while he glanced towards the canvas once more. “Art like this needs to be shared. As long as it will be mine one day, I don't mind where you show it around in the meantime.”

A truly relieved smile curled over Sai's lips at the words. “In that case, consider it yours,” he answered and watched closely how a pleased smirk graced Itachi's face at the response.

“When will your exhibition take place?” Itachi asked while glancing around the canvas, his eyes looking a bit longer at the range of colors placed on the floor right before it.

“At the beginning of winter. The same gallery as the last time,” Sai told while staring at the colors as well.

“Winter. I see.” 

Though he couldn't see it, Sai literally _heard_ the tension spreading in Itachi at the few words he spoke. The space around him seemed to have cooled down a few degrees, a phenomenon quite impossible when Sai thought about it, but undeniable all the same. He couldn't recall to have ever experienced Itachi turning that icy.

“Can I offer you something?” Sai asked at some point, if only to break the heavy silence between them. Bringing up the upcoming art exhibition must have truly irritated Itachi so a little distraction was more than needed, especially since Sai had yet to figure properly out what exactly set him off.

“I'm fine, thank you,” Itachi neutrally replied before taking a look around the studio. “What brought you to try out a canvas of this size? It's the biggest one by far.” After one last turn of his head Itachi faced him again, whatever hardness he had carried in the dark eyes having disappeared completely. Sai had to admit Itachi was quite hard, if not impossible, to read.

 

Drawing his portrait was going to be a challenge. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> Here goes the second chap.   
> In theory I could have posted this sooner... In a stupid accident I broke my toe, which leaves me with limited movement for a while.   
> It's healing, just takes a lot of time. I felt quite depressed about it which left me driveless, but now it hurts less when I sit on my desk (I can't stretch my legs there since it's against a wall, and touch leaves me squealing with pain still). I'll try writing a bit more now. 
> 
> I liked writing how Itachi and Sai interact, back when I wrote it and still now that I edited it.   
> Damn my style sucked SO BADLY orz   
> Anyway. Yep, Itachi is into art a lot on this. So much you can't deny him when he wants something, as just proved on Sai v.v 
> 
> For those who didn't read MBN or can't recall:   
> The winter exhibition is the one Naruto wants to visit along with Sasuke. Hence why Itachi is not a fan xD 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chap. 
> 
> Regards,  
> -T


	3. Hurting Inside

“Recently I saw a large graffiti over the side of a building.” Sai recalled the moment in his mind; he had been riding a public bus, returning to his studio after he had visited a graveyard further outside of town. Instead of using his scooter, Sai would rather take public measures of traveling so he could focus better on the area around. It never failed to inspire him whenever he felt a low. “The size was quite exceptional. I wondered how it would be working with something so big.”

“So far it's more than interesting,” Itachi admitted before his eyes rested on the drawing once more, his gaze lingering longer on it this time. Probably he was already thinking of an appropriate spot for it. “Will you add only a single color to this one, like with your other works?”

“Yes,” Sai confirmed. “I haven't decided on which yet, but one will join the black.”

“You should consider crimson. It always goes well with your preferred shade of black,” Itachi suggested, the corner of his mouth curling ever so briefly. Maybe he was trying to picture of how it would look like finished? 

Watching closely, Sai decided to finally try finding more out about him – after all, Naruto was counting on him – and eventually commented, “You're quite into art.”

Itachi looked at him for a moment and then released a quite audible chuckle. “Of course, why else would I buy so many of your works?” The amusement made his voice slightly lighter than usual. His features had softened and the chuckle turned into a faint laughter, making Itachi appear like a completely other person than before. Whatever had him tense up had gratefully disappeared; Sai wouldn’t have known how to handle the situation if the mood remained so dark. 

Though, he had other things to worry about - with a shake of his head he explained, “I don't mean your interest in  _ my  _ art. More, your overall understanding of colors and styles. I noticed your knowledge on a few occasions already.”

Basically that was the truth. More often than not, Itachi gave away hints he was rather deep into art as a whole, beyond the plain viewing of drawings. A few words he said here and there, vocab only somebody who had to deal with art would know, and then the way he explained his thoughts and expectations of a newer piece. Not to forget his thoughtful comments. Sai had used to wonder about those, but never really got around asking Itachi if he had some more connections to the topic.

“If that is the case, why would you point it out now?” Itachi asked, his head slightly tilted to the right as he spoke.

“I hoped you would explain where it comes from,” Sai answered in a neutral tone. He had managed to fully mask his curiosity – a much needed detail if he wanted to actually find out more about Itachi and more precisely his mind.

A smirk laid over thin, pale lips. “If there is a question it should be asked directly rather than be hidden between suggestions and comments.” Something like amusement reflected in Itachi’s dark eyes, though he remained sharp and sleek - almost like a cat in a playful mood. 

“Why do you know so much about art?” Sai retorted as soon as he finished speaking.

At first Itachi chuckled, then he drew in a deep breath. “I wanted to study art at university, but under given circumstances I never got the chance to do it. What I learned in a few classes, from books, and my personal interpretation and taste are the content of my knowledge,” he calmly told, a hint of regret and longing going along with his voice. 

“It's very impressive. A true shame you couldn't do as you wished and stay with the art,” Sai commented, highly interested. It fascinated him Itachi seemed to have developed such a large understanding to art on his complete own, even while he had to run a very large business and care for his brother at the same time. Sai had seen the building already, given Itachi wished to properly show him which drawings he had to replace with own works, and he almost developed a bad conscience; with so many people working busily around them, he doubted Itachi could easily spare so much of his precious time.

“Life may often change in ways we weren't expecting or wishing for. But it also opens up new opportunities.” Now a tiny, faint bit of softness laid into Itachi's dark eyes as he turned to face Sai. “If I hadn't this large and successful business, I surely wouldn't have had the chance to run into you and your exquisite art.”

Sai furrowed his eyebrows slightly. He was flattered by the complement of course, but it also confused him Itachi would bring something like that up all of a sudden.

However, just when he opened his mouth to speak a low melody started playing.

Taken a little by surprise, Itachi reached for his pocket while explaining, “Please forgive me, I hadn't switched it off.” He pulled the thin, sleek smartphone out and stared at the display for a moment. His eyebrows furrowed immediately after he read the name. “Sorry, I have to take this,” he quickly said before turning slightly around and answering the phone.

“This is Itachi, hello?” he spoke neutrally. There was a moment before Itachi repeated, “Hello? Sasuke, are you there?”

Sai wasn't standing particularly far away, yet he couldn't hear as much as a noise coming from the device. Yet somebody must have quietly spoken on the other end – otherwise he couldn't think of a reason why Itachi turned considerably paler in the blink of an eye.

“Sasuke, what happened?” he asked, his voice tense. The worry was so clear Sai had the feeling he could reach out and grasp it.

“Enough. You'll be fine. Everything will be fine, so calm down,” he suddenly threw in, his hand coming up rub over his own forehead. Sai wondered if Itachi was aware of the action or if he was too tensed to even notice what he did. “Sasuke, listen to me carefully; I want you to turn off the engine and wait on the sidewalk. I will have somebody come pick you up in a few minutes. You are in no condition to drive right now.” He paused, a heavy sigh leaving his lips. “I'll take care of everything. You can trust me.” There was another pause, probably because who Sai assumed was Sasuke answered. “I will join you as quickly as I can. Bye.”

With that Itachi ended the call, his fingers flying over the keys of his touchscreen as soon as he hung up. Not half a minute later he looked up from the device again, his face still so pale it was borderline transparent while his eyes had turned hard. “My deepest apology, but I have to leave immediately,” he stated, already starting for the stairs.

In that moment, Sai had the sudden urge to reach his hand out and grab a hold of Itachi. Never before had he seen him so tensed and upset, worry and fear written over his fine features. Something had happened, something bad, and Itachi looked like he desperately needed somebody to lean on while forcing himself to stay collected and strong.

But in the end, all Sai brought out was a quiet, “That's alright.” while he watched as Itachi hurried down the stairs, the door on the ground floor falling shut seconds later.

 

~*~

 

His hands were cramping, but Itachi still couldn't lose his grab on the wheel. The drive felt hard to take on its own and if he dared to as much as relax his fingers he might lose it completely.

Sasuke's shaking and terrified voice was still loud in his ears – his words so quietly spoken Itachi had difficulty figuring out what exactly was wrong while they phoned.

There had been a call from the hospital. Something had happened to Naruto.

The moment he received the call, Itachi was endlessly grateful for Sasuke's habit to park on the side of the road when his phone rang. Not to think of what could have happened if he got those shocking news while he was actually driving around. Itachi had arranged Zetsu to send a driver to him and take Sasuke to the hospital. He was headed in the same direction, if only to make sure Sasuke wasn’t alone.

Soon the large, white building came into Itachi's view.

Not thinking twice about it he drove right up to the emergency entrance, knowing it was the quickest way to enter the hospital. Surprisingly and equally creepy, Zetsu was already standing by the sidewalk when Itachi sped up the hill, as if he had known all along he'd take that route.

With his butler close, Itachi simply tore open the door and dashed to the entrance, trusting Zetsu to take care of his car for him. In his hurry he didn't even consider the elevator but instead rushed to the stairs, ignoring how much he sweated under the jacket of his suit. All that mattered was reaching the room where Sasuke was.

Itachi was still in the hallway when he already noticed the shouting voices.

“I told you it's fucking  _ fine _ ! It doesn't even hu-”

“Obviously it's  _ not _ fine! What have you been  _ thinking _ ?!”

Picking up his pace Itachi eventually reached the door, not even bothering to knock. If they were already loud enough to be heard even through closed doors, it was only a matter of seconds before things would escalate. 

As Itachi had guessed, they were lost in a heated quarrel. In fact, Sasuke and Naruto were fighting so harshly none of them noticed he had walked in, more people throwing curious and worried glances through the open door. Sasuke was pacing up and down in front of the bed, a clear sign he was irritated, while Naruto laid in it as usual. Though, unlike the last time Itachi saw him back in May he now wore a large patch over the side of his head and his right arm was put into a plaster bandage.

“You got any idea how  _ boring _ it's in here?! I was just looking for some distraction!” Naruto shouted, sounding much like he tried to defend himself and justify whatever retarded idea he had which led to the mess.

“Have  _ you _ any idea how I felt when the hospital called me?!” Sasuke threw back, his face pulled in a dark frown. “I almost got a heart-attack when I heard you had an accident! I've been  _ telling _ you to not go out on the hill yet, that you weren't strong enough to hold yourself up there, and  _ still _ you did it! Unreasonable moron!”

“Stop shouting at me, bastard!” Naruto yelled, “I just got a broken arm and hit my head, happened already, so no fucking big deal!”

“You almost snapping your backbone because of foolishness  _ is _ a big deal! Don't talk it down!” Sasuke was trembling all over, the slight tremor obvious proof for his burning anger. Itachi had only seen him a few times like that. “That's it, no more trips for now!” he added in a sharp tone. 

Naruto dropped his mouth open at the sudden declaration. “What?! Are you fucking  _ serious _ ?! You're  _ grounding  _ me?!” Naruto barked, his own fury growing. He was wildly shaking his arms despite the cast on one of them. “Getting hurt is normal and accidents happen! What you're gonna do?! Lock me up for the rest of my fucking life?!”

Sasuke's tone was dangerously low and controlled as he hissed, “If that means you'll be safe, I won't hesitate a split second chaining you on a wall.”

“That's... that's fucking crazy! You won't do that!” Naruto shouted, his face nothing but a grimace by then.

“I have my ways,” Sasuke snarled, no longer yelling by then. Instead his eyes were hard and determined while he stared back at Naruto, the shaking momentarily gone. Itachi already tensed his body, ready to step in if needed. When Sasuke grew all calm he was either wrestling control back - or seconds before a total meltdown.

“ _ Your ways _ .” Naruto spat the words with disgust, oblivious to the very thin line he walked on. “I've seen how they worked out! Maybe  _ I _ should be the one taking pills and break up this time!”

Suddenly there was an icy silence between them.

Sasuke just stared at him, mouth open in shock, his anger seemingly vanished at the harsh words which were thrown his way. Only then seemed Naruto to realize what he had said in his anger, which wounds he tore open with his mindless accusation.

“Sasuke... I didn't mean-” Naruto began, but got cut off harshly.

“That's enough,” Itachi stated, speaking for the first time since he entered the room. His look was dark and filled with murder when he glared at Naruto, more angry than ever before in his life. In the meantime he moved towards Sasuke, his arm wrapping forcefully around his waist as he pulled him out of the room. Sasuke was still so shocked and hurt he barely resisted, dragging along like a dead weight.

“No, wait, I-Argh!” Naruto stuttered, groaning in pain when he turned on the bed and put pressure on his broken arm.

Itachi slammed the door shut behind them, ignoring whatever other noise Naruto made back there.

Silently he led Sasuke down the corridor, keeping him close in case he would collapse. On their way to the elevator he did stumble two or three times, but Itachi held him so securely they didn’t even sway. After a short ride they moved through the lobby, the glassy doors sliding open when they approached and walked outside.

His timing creepily perfect, Zetsu was already waiting for them just outside with a car ready. “I will drive this one. Please pick up the other car and arrange everything to have Sasuke's be taken home as well,” Itachi ordered while he helped Sasuke into the car. Zetsu gave a nod and a polite bow before disappearing, along with the driver who had previously sat on the front.

Inhaling deeply, Itachi eventually sat behind the wheel and started the car. But instead of driving directly to his house, he took a road heading out of the city. Following a sandy road, ignoring the fact his car got dirty all over because of it, Itachi drove for almost half an hour before parking near a small path.

All the time Sasuke had remained silent, his eyes staring forward while he kept his face frozen in a neutral expression. But once the car stopped he opened the door, slammed it shut once he was outside, and started down the path full of grass and weeds. Itachi followed him suit after making sure the car was properly locked and their cellphones left back inside. He had snatched up Sasuke's when they were still at the hospital, unwilling to take any possibility to get a random call while they were out in the woods.

By the time Itachi spotted him again, Sasuke was already standing at the beach of the small lake they used to visit with their parents. He had collected a couple of pebbles in his hand and tossed them over the surface; their great-uncle Madara had taught them the trick, back when they were kids and the man already ancient. That day Sasuke had been tossing stones over the surface until nightfall, he was enjoying himself so much.

Silently Itachi picked up a couple of pebbles himself, joining Sasuke in the simple pass time. An utterly odd scene for whoever happened to witness it – two adult men standing by a lake in the middle of nowhere, their expensive suits wrinkling up as they jerked their arms to toss the stones.

“I can't believe he said that,” Sasuke stated at some point. His voice was neutral and controlled once he overcame the initial shock, but the anger hadn’t caught up again yet.

“But he did,” Itachi confirmed quietly, looking at the slightly trembling surface of the water where his stone touched the surface.

“All I want is to keep him from harm,” Sasuke whispered as he rolled one of his last stones between his fingers. “I don't want to go through it all over again... doesn't he see I'm just afraid to lose him for good?”

Itachi didn't respond, mostly because he knew better than that. If Sasuke actually sought his opinion on a matter he'd directly ask for it. The conversation they were currently having was merely one-sided, a way for Sasuke to get his hurt and anger off his chest. A few months prior, when Itachi had consulted Sasuke's treating therapist, he had been told to leave him some personal space and chose his words wisely when it came to the sensitive topic. Their relationship had turned stronger again after Itachi considered the suggestions and tips, and oddly, he felt like he understood the mystery that was his brother's mind better to some degree.

Eventually Sasuke threw the last pebble and then asked, “Am I being selfish, Itachi? By restricting him so much.”

“It is an act of egoism,” Itachi started, tossing another stone himself. “You want to protect yourself from the pain you experienced once already. However, Naruto is equally selfish by thinking only about his own needs without considering how you feel.”

Only months back Sasuke would have exploded in a rant at such a comment. But everything had changed since that significant day – they were no longer the same, strangers to themselves.

“Can I stay at your place for a while?” Sasuke rubbed his hands, getting rid of as much dust as he could.

“Of course,” Itachi responded and finally turned his head towards him. Sasuke was looking at the ground, his face somewhere between tensed and relaxed, as if he was feeling overall calm but had something more intense bubbling under the surface.

In some ways, it was a painful view.

Silently they headed back to the car, the stones and sand cracking when they stepped on them. A few minutes later they were sitting in the soft leather seats again, Itachi driving the vehicle back onto the main road. The sky began to darken once they pulled out of the woods, making Itachi wonder how much time they had spent tossing pebbles after all. It was all a bit blurry when it was only their quiet voices and the noises of the forest. 

“I'm glad you're my brother,” Sasuke stated all of a sudden. After a brief glance Itachi noticed Sasuke was looking at him, his head rested on top of his hand when he leaned against the window.

“Why bringing that up?” Itachi asked, his tone neutral. His main objective was to keep Sasuke talking, if only to overcome the heavy silence in the small space of the car. It was alright while they were outside - now it only helped the darker thoughts to resurface and pain their minds. 

“I think I don't appreciate you enough, though you'd never let me down...” Suddenly Sasuke chuckled softly, though it never reached his eyes. “Even when I use most of my energy on somebody you don't like.”

The emotions in his eyes were dark, yet Itachi kept his voice as even as always when he spoke. “Of course I'd be there for you. You're my little brother – my family.”

“A few months ago, some older man taught me it's not at all self-understanding to have somebody who supports you no matter what you do or who you hang out with,” Sasuke told while straightening on his seat. “He made some mistakes in the past and showed me what may result out of them.” There was a short pause, the words sinking in ever so slightly, before he added, “I think in some ways, you'd like Kurama. If I didn't know you detest farming of all sorts, I'd have you two meet right away.” This time Sasuke chuckled, amusement rather than sarcasm filling his voice. When he saw the slight frown creeping over Itachi's features, it turned into a full laughter.

“I don't see what's amusing about this,” Itachi responded a bit grumpy. He didn't like dirt and mud all over his hands – so? Itachi was a business tycoon; he had all rights to rather avoid getting dirty and hard laboring works in the field. Plus it was also within his rights to not like nature as a total when he felt like it.

God, every summer-camping-whatever his family did had been a true trial to him.

“Just,” Sasuke chuckled, “I don't get that you are all over the place when you see mud and farmers, but didn't as much as twitch back when you got paint all over yourself.”

“That's because art is something beautiful as a total – from the first stroke of a pencil to the final piece,” Itachi reasoned with a slight shiver. To compare paint with something as trivial as material ones comes across while farming... it was something borderline a crime.

“When you're using brown paint, I fail to see the optical difference to mud,” Sasuke, ignorant as he was, replied. “And it's actually fun. I was kind of sad when I left Kurama's place,” he added in a softer tone.

“I may be the one who needs glasses once in a while, but compared to your esthetic blindness I should be drowning in bliss anyhow,” Itachi grumbled. There wasn't much, actually only three topics, which managed to rile him up: Living and working in nature, complete ignorance to art, and Naruto Uzumaki. And Sasuke was currently making a very good job of bringing them all up at the same time.

What a teasing little shit he could be at times.

Then again, it were those casual moments together which enforced their bond of brotherhood.

“But hands down – I  _ am _ grateful to have you.” A gentle smile graced Sasuke’s lips. While he was a handsome male as he were, once those thin lips curled upwards Sasuke became truly gorgeous. Itachi was often reminded of their mother then, the gentle, warm person who actually gave them the opportunity to live. “Not only for offering your help constantly, but also to keep a lookout for me. I'd be lost without you.”

His heart warming at the words, Itachi replied, “I told you often enough.” He glanced at him through the corner of his eye briefly. “No matter which path you decide to cross in the future, I will always be at your side and support you – and once I no longer am, I will still love you no matter what.”

Eventually they reached the familiar driveway of Itachi's large house, the doorman having opened the gate for them as soon as he detected the installed GPS system of the car which also served to detect the vehicle. However it wasn't before they parked that Itachi broke the silence between them with, “What about dinner?”

Sasuke took a moment to answer, his mood feeling as if it had dropped again. “I'm not really hungry. I'd rather go straight to bed, if that's fine with you,” he answered, not even as much as looking up from the ground.

Understandable in Itachi's opinion. If anything the big house only served to trigger him further, given Sasuke's psych associated the place with heavy quarrels. Sometimes they even shouted at each other during the last year, when Itachi got so frustrated he saw no other way. But then again, it was probably the best place for Sasuke to be when he was in such an unstable state.

“That's alright,” Itachi spoke softly, mostly to interrupt his own worried ways of thinking. “I will have a snack be prepared, in case you feel hungry sometime later. If you need anything, make sure to call.”

Sasuke nodded faintly and started for the house – however when he took the first step a hand laid over his shoulder.

“I mean it. The time doesn't matter,” Itachi murmured, his features hardening slightly when he met Sasuke's eyes.

“Thanks, but I'm just... tired,” he insisted before shrugging the hand off.

There was much Itachi wanted to do, yet he let his beloved little brother be. He was well aware of the true meaning behind 'being tired'. Rather, Sasuke felt everything becoming too much for him, so soon after facing such a horrible situation as back at the hospital. It had been so much more than a plain insult... it had hit Sasuke heavily. So heavily Itachi felt anger welling up inside him again.

Once he watched Sasuke disappear up the stairs, he started for the basement. Itachi may appear cool and collected, but he had more than restrained himself for the evening already. It had taken a lot of his self-control to not jump for Naruto’s throat once the cursed words left his lips.   
  
He was all but a naturally violent character, but  _ damn  _ did the blond piece of shit push him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> I edited the chap on my new tablet... and I still have to get used to it -.-   
> We got a deeper insight on Itachi's character in this along with some impressions from the time in MBN.   
> I changed a bit of the wording and some of the style, but man... I changed quite a lot in the meantime! 
> 
> Sai is getting interested, yes. And Itachi shows some darker colors v.v 
> 
> Hope you guys stay tuned for tuned for the next chap! 
> 
> Regards,  
> -T


	4. Fights and Peace

Sai tilted his head a little as he tried to capture the look he had seen on Itachi a while ago. He had started the sketch shortly after the sudden departure, but he never seemed to get the expression right. The way the jaw had tensed and the eyes darkened... it had been very interesting to watch. Like Itachi was affected by his own emotions but either tried to grind them down or wasn't able to properly express them.

Whatever the reason, it had been fascinating, even more so when Sai failed to properly draw the face. A few sheets of paper laid around him, everything from a simple, rough sketch to a detailed picture on them. But, somehow, none really looked like the Itachi Sai had discovered that evening.

Though, he really had to make a cut now. Two days had passed already and in all the time he hadn't as much as glanced towards his other, mostly already sold works. Itachi's portrait had been so consuming he hadn't got a single piece done in the meantime. Hell, Sai wondered how he managed to even last an entire day before he actually noticed something like hunger.

With a sigh he closed his sketchbook, deciding he needed at least a change of location. Staying there in his studio didn't really do him any good, especially when he wasn't productive.

Frustrated he tossed the book and pen onto the table placed in front of his small couch. Not only did he clearly fall back on his schedule, he also didn't even get a proper work out of it. He spent a moment glaring at the sketchbook before deciding he should go see Naruto. It helped being around him and, surprisingly, Sai found quite some inspiration when they hung out.

Getting ready – he had been wearing the same clothes for two days straight, Sai had been so lost in the drawings – he first took a shower to properly scrub off the filth before he moved to get fresh clothing. He didn't have to walk far to get them; Sai's small apartment in the ground floor was nothing more but a functional bathroom, a kitchen-living-room-office mixture, and a tiny, separated bedroom which was barely large enough for a slightly bigger single bed. Even his wardrobe ended up to be in the other room, not fitting anywhere else.

Once fully dressed Sai moved on to pick up his backpack, helmet, and keys. Only in the last second did he notice his cellphone, the small item laying on top of a closet right beside the door of his apartment. Remembering it would be wiser to take it along – who knew what may happen outside – he picked it up, but furrowed his eyebrows when he saw he had two missed calls and three text messages.

Putting his helmet over his head so he had both hands free, Sai pressed down on the touchscreen to open the numbers. His heart skipped a few beats upon seeing Sakura's number flash at him and he cursed lowly to himself for not noticing it sooner.

Seeing no point in checking his mailbox – he knew for a fact she rather not left any messages, or better that Sai would never really listen to them – he moved on to the text messages.

The first read 'EMERGENCY!!! call me back immediately!', the date from the previous Friday. Actually, the time of it was suspiciously close to when Itachi had suddenly left the studio, merely twenty minutes later.

The second message was longer. 'Damn it Sai! Why do you even have a phone when you never check it?! Anyhow, the emergency was that Naruto had an accident, but he's doing OK now. I plan on visiting him on Sunday, give me a buzz when you want to join'. It came in the day before, in the evening, and Sai felt really close to smack himself.

He quickly opened the last message, reading a plain 'I'm going to the hospital now and might stop by your place afterward, to check if you're actually ALIVE'. That one came in not long before – he must have been in the shower and therefore missed the noise.

Sighing Sai pushed his cellphone into one of his pockets before heading out of the apartment. Apparently everything went wrong – first his meeting with Itachi was suddenly interrupted, then he was blocked for two entire days, and last he missed the chance to spend time and speak to the one he had feelings for. Atop of it all his best friend had an accident and he didn't as much as know about it.

Then again, that would explain Itachi's sudden departure. He had probably been called by Sasuke, who got the news from the hospital first hand himself. Even before he started the observation he already knew the brothers were close; it made sense Itachi would drop everything if anything happened concerning Sasuke. 

However nothing really mattered anymore. What happened happened and couldn't be made undone – Sai was painfully aware of that. So it wasn't too difficult for him to dispel his thoughts once he sat on top of his scooter, spared of everything for the blessed minutes it took him to the hospital.

But his mental peace lasted only for so long.

Too soon for his own taste he noticed the outline of the hospital building in the far. Sakura was probably going to be angry once he showed up... damn. He didn't have much experience with feelings, especially romantic ones, but he highly doubted it did any good pissing the person he liked off like that.

Sai parked wide off, a distance he would take a few minutes to cross. Maybe that was the main reason he decided to stay so far – he could use the few minutes to properly figure out what to do and say.

Oddly enough, Sai was already standing in front of the door to Naruto's room before he even managed to get a single clear thought.

Seeing no further point in wasting his time, he eventually knocked on the door and entered soon after. Sai simply dropped his helmet next to the door, even before he as much as looked up.

“About time you show up,” he heard, sighing lowly at the bitterness in Sakura's voice.

“Hello,” he greeted in return, forcing his tone to a neutral one. Sakura tended to be provoked by the smallest things and he  _ really  _ didn’t want to attract even more wrath. But once he glanced at the bed he stiffened, the breath he sucked in suddenly escaping with a gasp. 

Naruto laid in it, just like many other times when Sai came by for a visit. However his appearance was nothing like usual: A large bandage was tied around his head and one of his arms wore a large cast. But what truly unsettled Sai was the look on his face – a grimace of grief and pain.

“Hey...” Naruto whispered with a forced smile. Dark shadows encircled his eyes, as if he had recently trouble with sleep.

Sai felt curiosity welling up inside himself – he wanted to ask what had happened to put Naruto in such a miserable state, but he also had the feeling it was not in his right to question anything at the moment. After all, he had been the one practically ignoring the accident and everything else for the last few days.

Sakura turned eventually away from him and, instead, moved her attention to Naruto. “Why don't we go out a little to catch a bit of fresh air? Sai could push you.” Her suggestion was sincere and even a bit cheerful, but all Naruto did was sigh heavily at the option. He even glanced away, his eyes looking distant as he reached up with his good hand and played with the blue stone around his neck. Come to think of it, Sai had yet to see him without it from the day Naruto found it in one of the letters. The necklace was dear to him – that much was obvious, even to him.

Sakura huffed loudly, enough to jerk him out of his thoughts. “Listen, if you  _ are _ so sorry about what you said – what I completely understand, by the way – then why don't you just call him?”

“I can't,” Naruto insisted, his glance still directed at the far.

“Bullshit.” Sakura huffed again and snatched up the cellphone from the small nightstand. Eventually Naruto reacted, his head whipping around and eyes widening when he saw Sakura push a few buttons on the device, cracking his password like nothing.

“Wait! You can't just-,” He gasped and glanced helplessly around, his face paling up in the matter of seconds. “Sai! You gotta stop her!”

Jerking upon hearing his name called out so urgently, Sai tried to reach for the phone – and only earned himself a rather hard punch in the face along with a dark glare.

Untouched by it all, Sakura pushed a few buttons before putting the cell on loud speaker. It rang only twice before somebody picked up on the other end.

>Uchiha,< spoke a voice from the other end, so neutrally it was unnerving, yet Sai recognized it immediately. Apparently Sakura did as well, if her snarl was any indication.

“Hello Itachi, this is Saku-” she started but was cut out roughly.

>It's Mr. Uchiha for you,< Itachi corrected her, his voice colder than ice.

Sakura drew in a deep breath, her eyes closing at the words. “Can I speak to Sasuke? It's urgent,” she asked and, subconsciously, Naruto lifted a bit off the mattress, his face something between scared and hopeful and tensed.

>My brother is currently resting. I wouldn't dare disturbing him now, especially for you.< It was Itachi’s voice, indubitably, yet he sounded incredibly unfamiliar to Sai. It was nothing like the Itachi he knew – a cold stranger was a much more fitting description than a well-known, art-interested customer.

“In that case, could you kindly pass him a message?” Sakura asked, her patience extremely strained. Her entire body was tensed, Sai noticed, and her voice had something sharp in it.

But Itachi's answer couldn't be more indifferent despite her slightly frightening appearance.

>No.<

Sai was positive Itachi could hear the gritting of Sakura's teeth, maybe even Naruto's heavy sigh in the background.

>I believe I made myself clear enough the last time, Ms. Haruno,< Itachi started, his voice still controlled and neutral. >I do not wish any further disturbance via phone from you. Also, consider sticking your nose in other people's business is unrequested, especially when it is done in place of the coward-moron currently listening to our conversation.<

Naruto winced at the words.

>And now, consider this conversation being over,< Itachi added before hanging up coldly.

“I knew it was a bad idea...” Naruto murmured and laid one hand over his eyes in exhaustion. The more Itachi spoke the lower his head tilted - until he decided to lay back against the bed instead. 

Just a few months ago, Sakura would have been ranting and cursing already, assuring Naruto it was a waste of time and energy caring about despicable Uchiha brothers. But things had changed – including herself.

So, instead, Sai watched as she slowly laid down the phone onto the nightstand, her teeth nibbling at her bottom lip for a moment. “I'm sorry. I shouldn't-” She cut herself off, her lips pressing tightly together before she spoke again. “I'm so sorry, Naruto...”

“Don't blame yourself,” he replied, the hand pulling away from his eyes though they remained closed. “I should have made the call, not you. Perhaps I could have spoken to Sasuke after all...”

“I doubt that,” Sai threw in all of a sudden. Two pairs of eyes laid on him immediately, inquisitive glances which waited for him to explain himself. “I think Itachi is very worried about Sasuke getting hurt. He doesn't want him to suffer, so he makes sure Sasuke got space.” He glanced towards the ground, now that he finally got behind the odd behavior Itachi had showed him the other day. “Unless Sasuke allows it, Itachi won't let you through to him,” he concluded.

Sakura crossed her arms over her chest, her weight shifting a little. “That would make sense, but how would you know it's like that?” she asked, her green eyes sharp when she stared at him.

“Yeah, how would you know?” Naruto repeated, the curiosity obvious in his voice and momentarily pushing his darker thoughts away.

“Itachi had been in my studio when the call from Sasuke came in,” he told, remembering the moment when Itachi's features had altered. “It must have been shortly after he heard about you getting hurt, Naruto.”

Against Sai's expectations – he thought Naruto might get guild and regret written all over his face at the new knowledge – a quite relieved sigh escaped thin lips while they curled into a smile, their owner closing his eyes gently.

“ _ Thank God _ !” Naruto all but cheered, looking relaxed for a moment. “Thank God Sasuke got help right away. Phew, I thought he would still try to handle all on his own...” Eventually he opened his eyes again and Sai recognized a softness and care in them only a lover could carry. “I couldn't stand the thought of him being all alone again. But when he called Itachi, he's gonna be fine.”

All Sai could do was stare at Naruto, trying to understand the meaning behind the sudden change of mood.

 

~*~

 

Much to Itachi's delight, there were no more annoying calls coming in the following few days. Almost like the stupid bunch of kids finally learned their place.

With that thought in mind, his breakfast tasted all the sweeter.

He had just taken another bite when he received company – namely Sasuke in the usual mess that he was after sleeping. His hair would be spiky and wild, especially when he trashed around in his sleep, and his face would carry a dark frown until he got his first cup of coffee. In some aspects, Sasuke was still like the little, sometimes awkward kid Itachi rose after their parents passed away.

“Good morning,” Itachi greeted while placing down his slice of bread, the sweet jam coating his fingers. Delighted he licked it off his digits, the overall scene further improving his mood

“Hn,” Sasuke murmured while starting right for the coffee machine standing on the counter. Unlike Itachi, Sasuke preferred preparing his own food – if only because he didn't trust Zetsu to touch anything he planned to put into his mouth.

As soon as he took a sip of the freshly brewed liquid, Sasuke sighed lowly. “Had a good sleep?” Itachi asked while picking up his own cup – an uneven, ugly piece of ceramic he had for several years already.

“It was alright, I guess,” Sasuke answered before yawning. He blinked a few times, eyes slightly teary, before he released a snort. “Why won't you  _ finally _ throw that thing away?” His eyes had narrowed down on the cup as well, detest reflecting in their deeps.

“I like this one a lot.” Itachi smiled fondly as he took another swallow. “This present from my beloved little brother, made by his own hands...” he added with a smug expression on his features, holding back a chuckle when he heard Sasuke hiss low in his throat.

“I was eight, alright? You should finally get rid of it. Besides, Hinata bumped into me that time and made me drop it before we could put it into the burner.” Sasuke gave a snarl before he snatched up a cookie with bitter chocolate. Anything else was simply too sweet for him.

“I know,” Itachi confirmed before taking a swallow. “That day, you came home with a black eye because her cousin hit you in the break-time since you made her cry.”

Sasuke huffed before turning his head demonstratively away. “You better recall I got him a cut lip during the fight, too,” he growled, a habit of his when his pride got the briefest of scratches. “Whatever. Can I get my cell back?” he suddenly asked, making Itachi stiffen ever so lightly.

“Why would I have your phone?” Itachi responded with a neutral voice. “But, now that you mention it, you haven't been using it much lately.”

“Itachi, I'm not in the mood for your little games,” Sasuke sighed while running a hand through his messy hair. He took a moment before turning dark eyes towards Itachi. “Listen – I know all you're trying to do is protect me from harm. But you need to also understand I couldn't be happy either if I weren't suffering like this. Though I know you don't like it, but Naruto was, is, and will always be an important, dear part of my life, regardless of what you think. At the same time, you're an equally precious and dear part of my life, too.”

He was searching for Itachi's eyes, as if he was insecure of what he just said and looked for some kind of affirmation.

But all Itachi could do in that situation was getting silently up from his chair.

“To believe to know what other people think is one of the greatest illusions, brother; in fact, all we know are our own selfish wishes and futile hopes, along with our desires,” he started while placing his still half-filled plate onto the counter of the kitchen. “It's the fulfillment of our desires that we seek – and the reactions we hope to receive from our environment our subjective idea of reality. And once this reality we believe in clashes with someone else' reality, we become aware just how unreal the entire idea had been.”

Itachi had faced the wall as he spoke, the agony and frustration reflecting in his eyes hidden from Sasuke's view.

He drew in a deep, quiet breath before he added, “Therefore, be cautious of what you say and which words you use. Because, if you  _ truly _ believe to know what I think and feel, you are nothing but a blind fool.”

Silence spread between them, for the duration of an endless moment.

“To come back to your original question – no, I don't seem to recall where I saw your cellphone for the last time. However,” Itachi paused and forced back a chuckle at the short, sudden shriek Sasuke released, “Please, feel free to use my landline until it's found.” Eventually he glanced back over his shoulder, watching as Sasuke took the wireless phone from the plate Zetsu held out to him.

“I swear to God, if you don't stop doing that...” he growled while taking a few steps back.

“Please call again if you need anything else, Master Sasuke,” Zetsu replied politely before he bowed, the plate elegantly gliding behind his back.

Turning around on the spot, Itachi stated, “Don't keep it too long; we have to leave in an hour at the very latest. Our companies don't run themselves.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Sasuke replied though his eyes kept glaring at the leaving Zetsu.

Good Lord, hopefully there was always going to be some of that dynamic left between the two of them. The little bit of comedy sometimes made Itachi's entire day.

Deciding it was time for him to get ready, Itachi left the room and started for his own bedroom in the upper floor. While he liked the feeling of his suit against his skin – he insisted the dress makers used only the best materials – it still felt awkward to him having his daily meals in it, at least when he was at home. He couldn't possibly attend a business dinner in baggy pants and an oversized shirt.

Upon reaching the top of the stairs, Itachi ran a hand through his hair and decided he better took a shower as well. So, instead of actually heading to his bedroom, he walked further down the corridor to his large bathroom. It was luxurious and way too large for a single person, but Itachi liked himself a spacious bathroom. There was nothing more relaxing for him than laying back in the large bathtub while a small fountain worked in the corner of the room, the water running down expensive, jade-green stones before pooling at its bottom. Or the big shower with an aquarium worked into the very wall. The small seahorses and clownfish would gently swim around while he washed himself off and later wander to the other end of the tank, swimming around the corals on the side facing Itachi's bedroom. The animals even knew him by then, having been living in the tank for several years already. One seahorse in particular – a purple dwarf seahorse Itachi named Susanoo – would usually swim around at the level of his face when it noticed its master was around.

But for a morning shower, Itachi decided to keep his time in the bathroom rather short. After all, he had to make sure Sasuke was ready in time as well. Some may say he was going a bit far with his care, but considering  _ who  _ was talking on the other end Sasuke may slip into a new wave of depression all too easily. 

By the time the slow little fish reached the level of his eyes, Itachi was already in the process of washing the soap out of his hair, much to Susanoo's displeasure. Itachi made a mental note to spend some time with his tank in the evening – especially Susanoo liked to curl around his fingers when he held his hand into the opening of the aquarium, seeking the physical contact his digits provided. It had been too long already since Itachi spoiled his fish for the last time. Not that they really had anything to complain about. Of course Itachi avoided no costs to make the tank as livable for his fish as possible, providing the best environment for them to feel good. Maybe they couldn't wiggle their tail like a dog to express their delight, but he knew they were all happy and dandy.

All but Susanoo. He seemed borderline depressed when Itachi wasn't around, the aquarium keeper had told.

Exiting the shower, Itachi reached for the towels hanging next to the glassy wall. He grabbed one and dried first his body, followed by his hair and neck. Breathing out slowly and relaxed, Itachi tilted his head a bit and glanced at his own reflection in the mirrors on the far wall. Black hair stuck on his forehead and neck, a few locks ruffled up since he rubbed it dry moments before. Dark shadows were under his eyes, signs for missed sleep and deep thoughts. He swore the few gray hairs he spotted once in a while were all because of Sasuke and the worries he constantly caused.

Sighing heavily at the thought, Itachi wrapped a sauna towel around his hips. It had a hook-and-pile fastener on the waist, making it easy to put on – quite a nice alternative to the complete bathrobe, especially during the hotter seasons, while it was securer from slipping off compared to a plain towel.

With that covering his most private area, Itachi walked out of the bathroom and headed towards his bedroom. In one hand he still held a towel, using it to rub his hair drier while he crossed the corridor.

However, just when he reached for the handle of his door he heard a voice speaking quietly. Hesitating he looked back over his shoulder, seeing the door further down the corridor on the opposite was open. Just a crack wide, but still enough to have the voice from inside be noticeable.

A part of him knew what he was about to do was ethically wrong, as well as he was going to suffer because of what he learned, but another part of him couldn't resist the urge to guard over his beloved, fragile Sasuke.

And so, carefully, Itachi moved over to the door and glanced inside. He wasn't as stealthy as Zetsu, but people would still have a hard time noticing his presence; Itachi was sure Sasuke hadn't sensed he had snuck up on him.

Through the crack, he saw Sasuke sitting on the bed, his face toward the floor while he clenched and unclenched his right hand. His left one was at the level of his head, probably to hold the wireless phone against his ear.

“I'm just,” he started, trailing off with a sigh. “Scared. I'm fucking scared to lose you, out of the blue. I couldn't- no,  _ can't _ live in a world without you.”

There was a pause and Itachi gritted his teeth behind his lips.

“You don't have to apologize. You haven't been in that situation,” Sasuke insisted, sounding a lot like the damn blond on the other end was saying he was sorry. “If our roles were reversed, I might have reacted any different from you. Without the flailing of arms though,” Sasuke chuckled, forced more than anything.

After a moment Sasuke asked, “Do you think I can... come visit you la-”

The answer had been yelled so loudly, Itachi could clearly hear it from his spot near the door.

>What kind of stupid question is  _ that _ ?!< Naruto shouted, so much Sasuke jerked the phone away from his head with a dark frown. Apparently the blond idiot used a normal tone then, given Sasuke pulled the phone back against his ear.

“Who knows? Maybe you wouldn't want to see me again,” Sasuke implied, only his eyes showing how bitter the thought made him. However, in the matter of seconds his face lit up again, so much Itachi's stomach clenched painfully. “I can't wait to see you later,” Sasuke smiled, the tension obviously gone from him. “I love you, too.”   
  


His chest twinging, Itachi stepped away and eventually walked into his bedroom, the door closing quietly behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> A lot of stuff happened in this. Itachi showed some new, motherhenning sides of himself.   
> I like him in the interaction with Sakura xD I think he is a prime roaster when he feels like it. 
> 
> The mug-situation is inspired by true life! In fact, I made a clay flower waaaay back in ground school and just when we had to carry it to the plate for the burner a classmate bumbed into me :< I had 5 minutes to fix it and the result looked just like that -.-   
> Come to think of it, the same dude "accidentally" cut over my entire hand with scissors once bc he looked at the teacher while he kept cutting. I held the paper -_-
> 
> Anyway, so much for now. Soon stuff happens! 
> 
> Regards and have a nice time,  
> -T


	5. Shocked Speechless

Sai had seen the large building a couple of times already, yet he was still impressed and a little humble when he stood in front of it. The skyscraper was so ridiculously high he got a stiff neck from trying to see its top floor, the place where Itachi had prepared himself something like a chill-out penthouse zone. One time Sai had tried looking down from up there, but in the end his knees had shaken so hard he managed barely to make a step onto the balcony.

And now there he was, heading just for the top floors for a meeting with Itachi.

The doorman nodded at him in a greeting, Sai's face quite familiar to a few of the employees already. In fact he could even leave his belongings like the helmet with his scooter outside, knowing they would keep a close eye on it in his absence. Minutes later he was led to the exclusive elevator, one only reserved for Itachi's use. As his next meeting, Sai could use it to get to his office without being interrupted on other floors like with the normal elevators. It made the ride up essentially shorter.

The doors opened and immediately Sai noticed the strained atmosphere in the room. He had just entered a small foyer, the usual place where he waited for Itachi when he was stuck in another meeting, but the darkness creeping from the larger office ahead was so strong he could feel it even through the wall and doors.

“Why don't you just give him a chance? You can't possibly stay angry with him for the rest of your life!” he heard, positive it was Sasuke's voice speaking. “Besides it's not his fault at all; I made my decisions on my own, so if you need to be angry with someone, it should be  _ me _ .”

“Sasuke, we are not going to have this discussion again.” To Sai’s surprise, Itachi’s voice sounded tensed and annoyed. Usually nothing changed his controlled manner when he was at work, keeping himself even more in check than when he visited at the studio. 

“This is nothing that can be  _ discussed _ . It's a matter of fucking fact,” Sasuke spat, surely with a frown on his face.

“Language.” A single word, yet it oozed with authority. 

Completely ignoring Itachi, Sasuke added, his voice rising, “Even when we all know that, Naruto tries really hard to get on good terms with you again. He hasn't told me, but it's obvious he misses you in his life.”

Itachi had obviously replied, but so lowly Sai couldn't catch it. The walls weren't entirely soundproofed, but not exactly thin either.

“How can you say that? He was like a little brother to you, too!” Sasuke sounded honestly distressed about the answer, the matter getting so close to him he turned even louder. “We were all so close! Why can't we-”

“He is  _ not _ my brother.  _ You  _ are,” Itachi cut him off and, uncharacteristically, the already cold atmosphere seemed to chill even more. “And that's a matter of fact which cannot be discussed. Now, go back to your work. I'm not in the mood to allow you to slack it off today.”

“If you're tired with me, just fucking fire me,” Sasuke replied coldly. In the next moment the door literally flew open, so quick and sudden Sai jerked on his standing position in the middle of the foyer.

For a brief moment he saw the tensed and angry grimace Sasuke wore, but it disappeared as soon as he spotted him. Instead his eyebrows rose to the level of his hairline and he even stopped momentarily to look at Sai. He could see how Sasuke tried to measure what he caught of the conversation, his gaze sizing him up from hair to toe. But Sai remained completely unaffected; Itachi could stare someone up just as well, if not even more intense. 

Behind him, Itachi moved towards the door as well, curious of what had stopped Sasuke in mid-action. When he saw the reason, his eyebrows furrowed ever so lightly.

“Sai?” he called, apparently the best he could come up with at the moment. He looked surprised to see him standing there, as if he had forgot they were going to meet in a while.

“We have an appointment today,” Sai neutrally supplied, his head tilted a little in a nod. “Please forgive if I'm early.”

“No, it's fine. My other meeting is over anyhow,” Itachi responded, his eyes staring directly at Sasuke, who merely huffed and headed for the elevator in silence.

Once the doors had closed, Itachi subtly relaxed, his breath coming out slowly through his nose. “My apologies. I must have missed checking my schedule in time; what was on the agenda?” His dark eyes turned to Sai and, finally, the hardness had left the almost black orbs.

“I came to see where the large painting would fit best,” Sai explained, watching with interest how Itachi furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to remember what that meant. “The one I will take to the art exhibition. In an email, you mentioned you wished to put it in the penthouse.”

“Ah,” Itachi murmured softly. “Yes. The penthouse.” He moved to the elevator as he noticed it had already stopped on Sasuke's floor. It was not too far under his own, if Sai recalled correctly, so they could use it easily to reach the top floor. Itachi didn't even glance his way when he called the elevator before waiting in front of the doors. Sai followed suit, standing right beside him while the soft ‘bing’ broke the momentary silence between them.

Oddly, Itachi seemed to be rather spaced out. As if he was far away, buried deep in the thoughts tormenting his mind. Sai had never seen him like that – absent, yes, but not in such a distant, nearly depressing way.

The elevator arrived and even when they rode upwards, neither of them spoke a word. It was very strange since Itachi would always start a conversation, somewhat entertaining his guest when they couldn't converse over business just yet.

Only when the doors opened to reveal the penthouse did Sai gather enough force to break the heavy silence.

“You seem tensed.”

It was a mere statement, an observation he made. Itachi's steps had been stiffer than usual and wrinkles were over his forehead while he thought. In fact, he was so spaced out he barely noticed Sai's words to begin with.

However once he did, he shrugged it off so smoothly and effortlessly it seemed like he had done nothing else in his entire life before. “I'm just taken a little off guard since I had no chance to prepare myself for the appointment. I detest being this unprepared, especially since it regards something as pleasurable as your art.” A light smirk came along with the sentence, making it all more believable.

Not only was Itachi great in his given job, he was also a splendid actor when he wished to.

Sai didn't completely buy it though. Rather, he was even  _ more _ aware of Itachi's discomfort by then.

“We can always reschedule the appointment. I don't mind,” Sai suggested, not entirely sure why he said that to begin with. He liked spending time with Itachi and talk about art, plus he still had to gather more information for Naruto. Since he and Sasuke had been, obviously, somewhat arguing about him made the opportunity only better. If he wanted to snoop around and figure out how Itachi felt about Naruto, this was the perfect chance.

But then again, he felt not exactly well knowing Itachi had other worries he currently pushed away in favor of them doing whatever needed to be done.

“Nonsense,” Sai heard, the word pulling him out of his own thoughts. “After you came all the way here I wouldn't dare wasting your time,” Itachi insisted while starting for a random wall. “I think it would suit here best; then I can see it the moment I enter the penthouse.” He motioned towards the wall opposite them – the glassy front which led to the spacious balcony. It had a stripe of wall above the tall windows, currently decorated with a few of Sai's smaller works. “Do you think it would fit? You surely have a better feeling for the size of the canvas.”He looked back over his shoulder as he asked, his earlier tension masked perfectly.

Sai stared at him for a moment before answering, “It may be a little short for the entire wall. But if the current paintings are hung on the sides with the large canvas in the middle, it should do the trick.”

“Exactly what I had in mind.” Itachi smirked before he turned his face away again, arms crossing behind his back. “I can't wait to see it here. Have you chosen which color you will add on it yet?”

“No,” Sai replied in all honest. Not that he spent time thinking about it. Even after about a week he still caught himself sketching portraits of Itachi's face, and given he just found another expression he wanted to get onto paper he wasn't really hoping to get progress in anything else he did in the future either.

“Perhaps you should just try out a few colors and make more works like that,” Itachi suggested, his gaze still at the wall in front of them. “I find myself liking the idea of two larger paintings up there.”

 

~*~

 

It took Itachi all his willpower to not slam the phone down. Though, after almost two weeks, his patience was running extremely thin.

While Sasuke had been so hurt by the moron's latest actions, it had, yet again, only taken a whispered apology and a bunch of stupid flowers for them to get back to where they were. Again they were arguing about things, irritating each other to the point of snapping once more. What annoyed Itachi was that  _ he _ was always left feeling the impact of Sasuke's moods and deal with the fallout which was to follow.

Basically, it wasn't a big thing dealing with the random problems Sasuke came up with. Sure, it was tiring, but at least less unnerving as when he was still in puberty. It was also no big deal to end up as the lighting rod once it burst out of him.

However, what truly strained Itachi was the utter hurt he could sense in his beloved Sasuke when things turned ugly. How he had to watch him push the rich plate of food away from himself when he lacked appetite. How he heard him twist and turn on the covers of the bed when he stayed overnight and how Sasuke sometimes jerked out of his nightmares with a scream. How he saw the dark shadows under the swollen, half-closed eyes the next morning when they sat together for a cup of coffee which Sasuke maybe drank half, if not less.

Those moments he'd give everything to be back to the arguments they had because Sasuke wanted to get a tattoo or a piercing or something as-rebellious.

Not that it was his job to look after Sasuke now. He was an adult, a grown man with a running company of his own, and usually should deal with his own adult problems in his own adult way. Itachi had tried to raise him the best he could and had the feeling he did pretty decent back then. Or, at least that was his impression until the fateful day of the accident.

Though he had no talking in it, Itachi couldn't simply get out of his skin. When he saw how much Sasuke suffered, his instincts as a protective older brother kicked in on their own, awakening the urge in him to support and help his baby brother in every way possible. When he saw him lacking sleep, he had offered Sasuke to stay at his place for a while. When he saw how he kept losing weight, he used to arrange things so he and Sasuke would have their daily meals together. When he saw him motionlessly on the bed, threatening to fall asleep once and for all, he had called help and forced Sasuke to stay awake until the ambulance arrived.

Itachi had done everything and more to assist the person he adored most in the world, only to realize all his efforts were in vain. Sasuke kept sleeping bad, didn't eat properly, and even after the horrid accident he had because of the stress and the pain and the sorrow he remained as devoted as ever to keep going on his self-destructive path.

Even now he was still on his way to the hospital, taking the risk to get hurt beyond recovery so carelessly it was downright dumb. As if the meetings with the therapist, the diets, the nightmares, and all the other disturbing shit he went through taught him not the briefest of a lesson.

And worse, the other part of the dilemma was perhaps even dumber than Sasuke himself, let alone unaware and ignorant to everything around himself.

Frustrated Itachi got up from his chair and stalked over to the snake-painting Sai made for him, seeking some calmness.

Once in front of it, he forced himself to think clearer, without his emotions tainting his judgment.

Not long ago, he had loved them both. Sasuke was an ever-present and important factor in his life, but he had also allowed Naruto to step into his tiny cycle of special, dear people. The kid had been brightening his mood when he showed up, like a ray of the sun on a cloudy day if he wanted to phrase it in a sappy way. The Naruto he knew and the Sasuke he knew completed each other and, truth be told, Itachi couldn't have been happier for them. Never would he have imagined them to be apart and the first few months of Naruto's coma he had been certain they'd somehow work everything out again.

But then, everything changed. The hope vanished and Sasuke turned for the worse. By the time November came around, Itachi was getting familiar with the thought Sasuke might lose it entirely, trapped as he was in his own guilt, pain, and obsession.

And when it came down to Naruto and Sasuke, Itachi would always choose Sasuke, no matter the circumstances.

He didn't know for sure how it was on Naruto's end, but for one God damned time in his life, Itachi didn't give a fuck about someone else's perspective. His mind forced to think simply – Sasuke was hurt because of everything about and concerning Naruto. So, logically, Itachi felt endangered by it all and thought of ways to free Sasuke from it.

It was natural – nothing more, nothing less. Itachi wanted to block out the reasons for their suffering, and if that meant removing Naruto from his life, he wouldn't think twice about it.

He may have liked the old Naruto, but Itachi had no interest in interacting with the new one. And when he witnessed situations alike the recent one at the hospital, he felt less and less inclined to give it a chance.

Itachi had still been trying to calm his jumpy nerves when his phone rang. He looked briefly back over his shoulder, glaring at the item for a moment before he turned around on the spot and headed back to his desk. Immediately he recognized the number as the one belonging to the switchboard.

Without hesitation he pulled the headpiece off, holding it against his ear. He didn't even sit down when he answered the call.

>Mr. Uchiha,< the woman on the other end said, >I have the hospital on the line. It's about... Mr. Uchiha.<

Itachi felt all blood leave his face, his eyes bulking as his sight shook a bit.

“Patch them through,” he gasped, his voice almost giving in. A sour feeling spread in his abdomen, bile rising up in his throat. He didn't even know what the people from the hospital wanted from him; probably it was just something little, like a reminder that Sasuke should take his appointments with Doctor Hatake or that they needed him to sign something.

Yet Itachi felt his heart beat fast and head spin for an unknown reason.

>Mr. Itachi Uchiha?< asked a voice on the other end.

“Yeah, on the phone,” Itachi urged, wondering how he managed to force the bile down enough so he could speak. “My brother?!” he gasped, unable to phrase an entire question. In fact, his knees began shaking and his free hand clenched around the edge of his desk to steady him.

>Yes, Sasuke Uchiha,< the voice confirmed. Itachi was worrying so much he wasn't able to make out if it belonged to a woman or a man. >I am sorry. He had an accident. He was just brought to the emergency room minutes ago.<

He felt so sick he almost threw up at the message.

Sasuke... an accident? But, just a few hours ago they had spoken, his last email coming in only before...

>He seems stable, however got a few complicated fractures and a heavy concussion. He will be kept in hospital for an unknown period of time and as he is not amenable to treatment at the moment, we need you to make a few decisions in his place. Is it possible for you to come here?<

Itachi didn't hear the voice, his brain still refusing to work. His sight was darkening, too, as if he was about to collapse. Only then he realized he had stopped breathing all together.

>Sir? Are you still there?< the voice asked and suddenly Itachi snapped back into consciousness.

“I will come immediately,” he replied, recognizing the number of the hospital. He had got familiar with it when Sasuke was brought in there after the overdose, the number literally burning into his memory.

Therefore he simply hung the phone up, his hand trembling horribly when he immediately lifted the headpiece up again and hovered his fingers above the keys.

How he managed to enter the number was a mystery of its own.

As soon as he heard the line click he whispered, “'Tsu... I need... car...”

 

~*~

 

Under other circumstances, Itachi would have been grateful for Zetsu and his endless understanding. Within minutes after he had called Kisame, one of Itachi's drivers, had entered his office and half-way thrown him over his shoulder to bring him downstairs. The man was two heads taller than him and at least twice as heavy; to Kisame, it was fairly easy to pull a grown man along and into a car. He was also sharp-minded while knowing when it was wiser to remain silent, though his eyes looked rather often into the rear mirror during the drive to the hospital.

Itachi was too out to notice it though. It took all his force to not break under the situation.

It wasn't the same as when Sasuke took too many sleeping pills, yet he felt the old fears creeping up his spine. The ride to the hospital was unbearably long and his stomach turned upside down with every turn they took. The worry ate away at him so much he borderline passed out, only the nightmarish visions before his inner eye making him tear his eyelids open again – images of his beloved baby brother in a bed, his gaze unfocused and glassy.

Feeling the bile rise again, Itachi brought a hand up to cover his mouth. He had to force himself to think logically. The voice on the phone had confirmed Sasuke was stable, just out of it for the moment. It wasn't like the last time, when the doctors told him they didn't know if he would make it or not. Sasuke would be there and, more importantly,  _ alive _ once Itachi arrived at the hospital.

Eventually Kisame parked the car, not a care in the world where exactly. He may cause some trouble more often than not, but at least he knew where to put priorities. Itachi was grateful for it – there was no way he could have taken the way into the hospital on his own.

Much alike how he did with Sasuke after the fight a few weeks ago, Kisame led him through the colorless floors until they reached a white door. Some people had tried to approach them on their way, Itachi vaguely recalled, but Kisame had brushed them all off with an intimidating grunt.

And now they stood there, Kisame's paw-like hand closing around the handle of the door and pushing.

As soon as he blinked inside, Itachi almost collapsed on the spot. His body was tensed when Kisame pushed him inside, like a parent pushed their kid forward when they had to enter the office of a dentist. The large hands on his shoulders forced Itachi into a sitting position, right on the single chair in the room, so close to the bed.

“I'll be right outside of the door, assuring you have privacy. Call if you need anything,” Kisame informed him, his voice neutral.

Itachi couldn't even as much as nod, his wide eyes still staring at the bed in shock.

Sasuke laid there – his entire body a mess.

His right leg was lifted up, a thick cast around it while it laid in a loop hanging off a metal bar on the bed. The rest of his body was wrapped in the thin covers of the hospital bed, up to half of his chest. Then he had a brown collar around his neck, one of those used to keep the spine still on people, and a large bandage around his head. A breathing hose was put on his nose while more pipes penetrated the flesh of his arms – one supplying him with an infusion, the other one constantly checking his pulse.

All in all, Sasuke looked quite well for somebody who was involved in an accident. Yet the sight was so sickening to Itachi all he could do was face the floor while he dug his hands into his hair. After a while he watched something drop down, more and more transparent drops following before he realized he was silently crying. Why, Itachi couldn't properly tell; maybe it was the borderline traumatic situation to see his beloved brother so heavily injured, perhaps he was just incredibly relieved the machine next to him kept rhythmically beating.

Or he was plainly afraid Sasuke might never awake again, as unreasonable as it sounded.

Probably he was out because of medication or the hit on the head. Judging from the cast on his leg, the impact Sasuke suffered had been at least strong enough to break his bones. The doctors surely gave him something to sleep so he would feel no pain as they patched him up. Just so he could properly rest and recover.

… Right?

Drawing in a hissed breath, Itachi looked up again, his hands running over his face as he stared at the bed. Sasuke looked motionless, extremely even, but Itachi considered it a trick of his eyes. Sasuke was breathing normally, his heart beating strong beneath his ribs – nothing like the time when he found him in the apartment.

Yet he found it hard to tame his fear down, even while facing the obvious proofs.

His tears had long since dried when the door opened behind him, somebody stepping in. “Mr. Uchiha,” a voice called and this time, Itachi was able to tell the gender. It belonged to a woman. “My name is Tsunade Kato. I am Sasuke's treating physician,” she informed him and immediately Itachi tensed up.

The same woman who currently treated Naruto... great.

“Don't worry. He's just hit his head a great deal and we gave him heavy medication against the pain. He might sleep straight for a day or two,” she told, still standing behind Itachi.

It took a while before he had the strength to clear his throat. “How did it happen...?” he whispered, the question kept low.

“Apparently he was taking a few stairs and slipped. He fell quite a lot; his leg is fractured complicatedly. We had to put him into a short surgery and work a few screws into it to keep the shape. He also fractured his hipbone and got a concession atop of it. We also found a slight sprain in his neck-area, therefore the collar,” she told, neutrally listing the facts in the typical manner for doctors. “Give him two weeks and he should be as good as new, save the broken bones. Depending on how his hip is doing, we'll decide about the further treatment then.” She paused and Itachi was unsure why she did so exactly, however she soon breathed in loudly and moved on. “He's fine, Itachi. You don't have to worry about him.” Her voice was softer as she added it, probably well aware of the last time Sasuke was hospitalized. 

However Itachi couldn’t deal with it right now.

“Mr. Uchiha, if you don't mind,” he drily replied before straightening up on the chair. Why he was so bitter he knew very well; he didn't need that woman to pity him and show sympathy. She may have been an excellent physician, but she was clueless about the worries Itachi carried along inside. And really, he didn't feel like sharing his feelings with her, someone so close to Naruto.

“If possible, please arrange the needed documents to be brought here. I will sign every necessary paper, but I wish to be by my brother's side as much as possible,” he added before tentatively reaching out for Sasuke's hand. Cautiously he lifted it up, feeling the warmth radiating from it against his fingers.

Finally leaving him alone, Tsunade started for the door and closed it lowly behind herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> A lot happened in this chap. Mostly it's a view to the inner Itachi and his issues, which turn so prominent even outsiders like Sai notice them. In the next chap their bond will finally deepen. 
> 
> Itachi may be a bit OoC in this chap...   
> I thought a lot about how I should have him react - cool-headed and calm like in Canon, or actually give him some very human weaknesses? In the end I settled for the second option, if only to fuel the drama a little more ;D 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chap. I think three or four more, and it'll be done! 
> 
> Regards,  
> -T


	6. Heartbroken

For the first time in weeks, Sai was fairly satisfied with how his portraits had turned out. Not as good as the original, but he managed to catch the expressions of Itachi's face rather well. It wasn't much, but still the first things he could hand over to Naruto regarding his observation.

With a rather good mood he drove to the hospital, his scooter parked at the usual spot before he headed for the room Naruto lived in for almost a year already.

Knowing the way by heart, he jogged up the stairs with his little briefcase tugged under one arm. Since the sketches would have wrinkled up in his backpack, he decided to carry the portraits that way. He was curious what Naruto would think of the drawings. Would they help him out? Sai dearly hoped so. From what he had caught in the conversation he heard between Itachi and Sasuke, it seemed they all used to be very close to each other.

Eventually he reached the door, put on a smile, and pushed it open while calling out his greetings.

Surprisingly, Naruto was actually  _ inside _ his room. Recently he was so hard to catch, Sai had been rather sure he would find an empty room once he entered.

“Oh, hi Sai,” Naruto greeted in return, trying to smile but unable to cover the concerned frown on his face.

“What's wrong?” Sai immediately asked, his eyebrows furrowing. “You look worried.”

“Ah.” Naruto chuckled a little nervously, his good hand coming up to scratch the back of his head. “It's just- do you know if Itachi and Sasuke went on a trip or something?” he asked, something alike hope and worry reflecting in his eyes while he stared at Sai.

Feeling a little uncomfortable at the look he replied, “None that I know of.” He paused for a moment, the sketches he carried along forgotten. “What's the matter?”

Naruto scratched the back of his head a bit harder. “You know, Sasuke hasn't shown up in two days already. And when I tried calling he won't answer the phone and he won't reply to my texts.” He paused long enough to swallow, his Adam’s Apple bobbing at the motion. “I can't recall a reason for him to be pissed off at me and, probably, there's a good reason for his absence, but...” Naruto trailed off, the worry on his face intensifying. “He would usually tell me if he has plans or got blocked. I wonder if he's okay.”

Sai placed his briefcase next to the bed before he took a seat on the chair. “It is rather unusual. Have you tried calling the company?” he asked, earning himself a weird look from Naruto.

“As far as I figured out, Itachi got my number blocked for the phone system. It won't let me in,” he told with a frown, his good arm crossing over his chest. Naruto had tried doing the same with his broken arm last week, but it had hurt so badly he moved it as little as possible by now.

“I meant the people at Taka,” Sai explained. “Since Sasuke bought some of my drawings as well, he gave me the number of his two vice presidents in case I had to reach one of them. You could try that number.”

Immediately Naruto's eyes lit up. “Can I have it?! I'd try it right away!” Before he even received an answer he already reached out for his phone, a grunt escaping his lips when he got pressure on his broken arm.

Wordlessly Sai pulled out his own cellphone and scanned the contacts for the needed number. Once he found it, he handed the item over to Naruto and watched him snatch the phone out of his hand and type the number into his own device within a couple of seconds. His nervousness was more than obvious, his worry mixing with tension.

“Yeah, hi, this is Naruto,” he introduced himself, not bothering to add his last name. “Say, where is Sasuke? I haven't heard of him in a whi-”

Abruptly Naruto cut himself off, his eyes going wide and hand clenching down on the phone with all it's might. “What do you mean, accident?! … No, obviously! Why did nobody fucking tell me so far?!” he yelled, so loudly Sai pushed slightly back along with his chair. “Whatever, now, what happened?! Where is he?!” Naruto urged on, sweat trailing down his temple. “Are you fucking kidding me?! Is this supposed to be some bad joke or something?!” He growled low in his throat while his entire body started shaking. “I swear to God, if the room is fucking empty, I'll come back for you guys! Bye!” With that he tossed his phone onto the mattress before jerking the blanket away from his body, hissing when his broken arm throbbed with pain.

“Hey, wait up,” Sai threw in, quickly rising from his seat. “What's going on?”

“Wheelchair! Now!” Naruto barked while forcing his legs off the edge. He jerked so hard he almost fell off the bed. “I'll explain later!  _ Wheelchair _ !” he added once he noticed Sai remained stuck on the spot. The urgency in his voice eventually snapped him out of his daze - and not a minute later Naruto sat inside it, Sai awkwardly holding the handles, clearly unsure of what he should do. “Now, fifth floor, room seventy-three!  _ Now _ !” Naruto’s order came out so harsh Sai found himself obeying before as much as figuring out what was up.

It wasn't before they entered the elevator that Naruto finally explained himself.

“Sasuke had an accident two days ago,” he reported, his face considerably pale but eyes sharp and determined. “Nobody cared telling me. He was brought into this hospital and is supposed to be in the room I told you. And well, if not, I'm gonna murder all employees at Taka. Believe it.”

Nodding, mostly to himself, Sai pushed the wheelchair out of the elevator once they reached the fifth floor, heading for the left wing. Though he wondered why Naruto, from all people, hadn't been informed about Sasuke's incident already. Weren't they partners? Even if not married, it made sense to Sai if they had at least contacted him.

However, just when they were about to cross the doors to the left wing, Naruto shouted, “Hold it!”

Sai had came to a halt so hard, Naruto almost flew out of the chair – and whoever had been close to them dropped an entire pile of folders.

“My goodness, Naruto! Don't startle me like that,” a woman complained and once he looked at her, Sai realized it was Shizune. She was already down on her knees, eyes narrowed in annoyance while she picked up the papers scattered across the floor. 

Naruto was ignorant to her answer though. “Sasuke – what do you know about his condition?!” he inquired, making Shizune freeze right on the spot.

“I'm sorry, but it's sensitive data-” she began in a secure tone, but Naruto cut her off in the blink of an eye.

“Don't bullshit me like that! He's my boyfriend, I have _the_ _right_ to know!” With gritted teeth Naruto made his way over to her, the wheels squealing a little when he turned on the spot. He could hardly push the wheelchair on himself in his current condition and hissed loudly at the throbbing pain of his arm, but still he moved in her direction anyway.

“As I said, I cannot give you any information. It is only reserved for relatives,” Shizune explained, mostly unaffected by his act. In the meantime Sai had quickly grabbed the handles again and pushed Naruto forward, avoiding him hurting himself further.

Once close enough, Naruto growled, “Shizune, it's not the time for this. If you tell me, fine, if not I'm gonna find out my-fucking-self.”

They stared at each other in silence for a few minutes, but eventually Shizune gave a loud sigh. “He slipped down the stairs and broke his leg and hip. He's got a concussion as well, so make sure to keep noises low while you're around him for the next week.” Gently she clapped the stack of papers against the floor, straightening the pile before she got up again. “I mean it, Naruto. He might carry out a permanent headache otherwise.” 

“Thanks,” Naruto whispered, unable to as much as smile. It made Sai wonder just how affected he was by the report Sasuke was hurt. He had never seen Naruto that out of his skin, save for the time when he had just awoken from his coma.

Assuming Naruto couldn't wait much longer, he started pushing the wheelchair once again, right down the corridor which led to the room Sasuke was in. And the closer they got, the more Naruto seemed to tense up. His shoulders were pulled tight and he leaned slightly forward on the chair, probably subconsciously. Even his mouth was tightly closed while Sai silently pushed him towards the door with the sign '73' on it.

However just when they were close enough to read the number, the door suddenly opened – and Itachi stepped out of the room, his head slightly lowered. Only after a few seconds did he look up and notice them – and once he did, his face froze in a grimace of annoyance and tension.

“How is he?!” Naruto immediately asked, his voice filled with worry and concern.

“My brother needs rest. You should better leave,” Itachi coldly answered, his body standing before the door as if he tried to block the way inside. Probably that was his true intention to begin with.

“I understand, but please... I need to know,” Naruto pressed out and suddenly Sai felt very out of place. The tension growing quickly between the two was more than obvious and, though Naruto was his close friend, he could also understand Itachi's concern to some degree. He was just worried for his little brother.

That, and he simply disliked Naruto.

Huffing lowly, Itachi looked down at Naruto with dark, borderline hostile eyes. “I owe you nothing, Uzumaki. Now, it's time for you to turn around and leave.” His voice dangerous and full of darkness as he spoke, matching the malicious look in his eyes. 

For the time being, Sai froze on the spot, deeply startled by Itachi's behavior. Of course he knew the dislike Itachi held towards Naruto, but he would have never expected to see him that on edge. Itachi's entire body was tensed and, for some odd reason, Sai had the feeling he was holding greatly back – nothing like the calm, balanced man who regularly visited his studio. Actually, it felt like Sai was facing a complete stranger, someone who may held a slight resemblance to Itachi but with a completely different character. He looked tired, too; shadows under his eyes, deep wrinkles across his forehead. The usually sharp ponytail was slightly messy, a few strands framing his face out of place. 

But for what happened next, none of them was prepared.

In the blink of an eye Naruto had leaped out of his chair, right towards Itachi. He managed to push him hard against the wall, Itachi even releasing a low hiss of pain at the impact and the cast pressing down against his chest, inches under his throat. Naruto was, in the meantime, standing right before him while bracing himself against the close wall with his good arm. His legs were shaking slightly at the effort to keep him up, but they would carry him for the time being. Eventually he'd be able to walk again – harvesting the fruits of the massive work he put into the rehab.

“Alright, listen up now, stupid old fuck that you are!” Naruto snarled, his lips briefly open to show gritted teeth. “I've been trying to go easy on you for Sasuke's sake, but this is as far as it goes. I will  _ not _ allow you to deny me seeing the person who's most important to me on the entire planet.” He pushed his arm down a bit harder, a layer of sweat beginning to cover his skin. Maybe it came from the agitation, maybe from the aching muscles and the throbbing arm. But still Naruto remained standing, forcing Itachi against the wall.

Come to think of it, Sai assumed Itachi could pull free anytime he wanted. Naruto was still weak and unbalanced – a slight push would make him fall backward and land hard on the ground. However for some reason, Itachi allowed Naruto to move on, his eyes cold and calculating as he stared back.

“You're not the only one Sasuke's dear and important to. So suck it up already,” Naruto huffed before his legs gave in to the exhaustion and bucked.

Thankfully Sai had been quick; he pushed the wheelchair close up to them, positioning it so that Naruto fell right into it, his breath coming out a bit quicker than usual once he sat – a clear proof for how much he had struggled to stay up.

For a moment Itachi stared down indifferently at him and Sai considered simply taking them back to Naruto's room. Being a patient himself, Naruto could return later, seeing Sasuke while Itachi was gone. Perhaps the best idea, not only for Naruto but also for Itachi's sake. Something was wrong with him, though it wasn't all too obvious... If Sai hadn't got the habit to be more aware of his surroundings when Itachi was around, he might have missed it.

After a seemingly endless minute however, Itachi turned towards the door and opened it – leaving it as it was while he walked inside, like a silent invitation for them to step in as well.

A silent invitation Naruto took right away.

“Come on, Sai,” he called, his voice less cheerful than usual. It was awkward seeing Naruto so incredibly serious – but, given the circumstances, it wasn't an exactly funny situation to begin with. But as soon as they spotted the single bed in the room, the seriousness quickly vanished, leaving worry and something like horror behind.

Naruto had gasped lowly once he saw Sasuke. To Sai however, the sight wasn't all too bad; Naruto had been far more severely injured than him and if the nurses and doctors hadn't spoken about Sasuke before, his condition was probably good, too. In a case of emergency, Sai couldn't really see nobody telling Naruto with the background the two had.

He remained standing on his spot close to the door when Naruto started moving. Carefully he pushed the wheels of his chair, calmly so he wouldn't get hurt. When he could move slowly, Naruto was getting around rather well on his complete own. Before he had probably just asked for help so he made it to the room faster.

Not being all to close to Sasuke, Sai decided to rather watch Itachi subtly. He had positioned himself close to the door, his back leaning against the wall while he kept his watchful eyes on the scene before him. His arms were crossed in front of his chest, his face tensed while he occasionally glared at Naruto. Itachi's entire being showed his disapproval of him being there, though only very faintly. Sai was certain most people would miss it completely. But then again, there was also a hint of frustration Itachi radiated, though its reason remained unknown to Sai.

Suddenly however, Itachi's fingers tightened around his upper arms. It was then Sai noticed the regular beeping of the heart monitor had increased its rate.

The next moment Itachi pushed off the wall and made two long steps to reach the other side of Sasuke's bed, many different emotions washing across his features in the matter of seconds. It happened so fast Sai failed to pick them all up, only recognizing worry along with utter happiness and relief at the end.

Half a minute later Sasuke opened his eyes, his lids fluttering heavily at the start.

“Sasuke!” Naruto gasped, his hand tightening around Sasuke's on the bed.

“What...” Sasuke murmured, sighing loudly when he failed to keep his eyes open for longer than a few seconds.

Itachi moved his hand up, gently pushing some of his hair from his forehead. “It's alright, Sasuke; don't overdo it from the start,” he spoke with an incredible softness in his voice. His features were relaxed and full of affection and, for a moment, Sai thought he looked like he was about to cry.

One thing was clear – Itachi loved Sasuke with all his heart.

After a while Sasuke tried to move, his body twitching ever so slightly on the mattress. “Can't move...” he weakly murmured, his eyes still half closed as he spoke.

“You fell down the stairs,” Itachi reported, his voice a mere whisper and his hand still gently caressing his head. “You've been unconscious for almost two days. The doctors said you'll have to stay at the hospital for a while longer, but you're overall doing alright.”

“Yeah... I slipped...” Sasuke confirmed, his voice weak and scratchy.

Naruto whispered something, making Sasuke turn his head as far as he could. “What was that?” he asked, eyebrows furrowed and eyes a bit more open compared to before.

“Thank God you're fine,” Naruto repeated a little louder before bringing the hand he held to his mouth, placing a short kiss on it's back.

“Why're you... speaking so lowly...?” Sasuke sighed, his eyes closing again. Apparently he had trouble keeping them open for all too long.

“Shizune said you've got a concession and to speak lowly to you. You don't want a permanent headache, do you?” Naruto smiled down at him, keeping the hand still close to his face. “Christ, you had me worried there,” he added with a relieved sigh.

Sasuke chuckled faintly at the comment. “Well, now you can pay back,” he stated, earning himself a confused glance from Naruto. “Staying by my side... like I did with you.”

“ _ Idiot _ !” Naruto yelled, out of the blue. In fact, everyone else in the room – Sai included – had jerked at the sudden outburst. Much lowlier but not less angry Naruto then explained, “This isn't about payback! I came here because you're important to me and I care a lot about you.” He rubbed his cheek against Sasuke's hand affectionately. “I feel nothing like obligation to be here. I am here because I love you and needed to make sure you're fine.”

For a moment there was silence, but then Sasuke started chuckling softly. “In that case, I'm grateful,” he whispered, his hand closing around Naruto's. A faint smile graced his lips, an action immediately mirrored by Naruto before he lowered his head, resting it on the mattress so close to Sasuke's.

A tender, peaceful action between lovers – the world seemingly narrowing down on them, turning everything else around them unimportant.

Sai instantly saw the change since he was observing the scene very closely.

Suddenly Itachi's hand vanished from Sasuke's head and by the time it was noticed, he was already heading for the door on the other end of the room.

Turning his head towards him, Sasuke called, “Itachi? Where are you go-”

“The hospital got my number,” Itachi interrupted him, borderline snapping. “Call me if you need anything.”

And with that he pulled the door open, disappearing into the corridor.

People would assume he had been angry or jealous, the action a childish way to show Itachi had been upset with something. But instead of anger and jealousy, Sai only saw hurt in Itachi's eyes when he quickly passed by.

For an instant Sai looked back into the room, meeting Naruto's glance for a brief moment.

Sai didn't know why he felt like that or what moved him to do it, but as soon as Naruto nodded at him he left the room, following Itachi suit.

 

~*~

 

No matter how much air freshener was sprayed across the rooms, nothing would ever take the heavy scent of smoke out of the old carpet and the furniture. Though, Itachi didn't exactly mind it – at least not at the moment. He only knew the filthy bar since the owner, a total creep, had been interested in Sasuke for a couple of months and he therefore checked out the facility. Of course, the old man's interest in Sasuke had disappeared very soon after Itachi and him had some...  _ discussion _ , however Itachi had somehow found his way back into the shady, almost abandoned bar rather easily. And much to his surprise and also benefit, it had yet to close business.

In that far-off place, Itachi would be safe from bothering interruptions.

“Since it's you, I might even give you a discount for my more... adult services,” the owner and also bartender stated, his voice disgustingly sleek. “Reconsider it.”

Momentarily Itachi looked up from his glass, holding eye-contact for a few seconds before he emptied his drink in one motion.

Tossing his empty glass onto the counter, so hard it clacked, Itachi responded, “I wouldn't want your mouth anywhere close to me and you know that, Orochimaru. Rather, pour me another one.”

The man named Orochimaru sighed heavily while filling up another glass of expensive whiskey. “For I see you again after such a long time, you happen to be in such a horrible mood...” he commented, the tease clear in his voice.

“On the ice,” was all Itachi replied while glaring at the old counter. He could already feel the effect of the alcohol; his senses felt a bit dull and he found it hard hiding his emotions away. Though, he didn't really feel like hiding anything to begin with. In fact, he wanted to express everything bothering him right there, right now, the only thing holding him back the last bit of common sense he had left. It was already bad he sought out a bar to get wasted – he didn't need additional witnesses to his inner turmoil as well.

As soon as Orochimaru put the glass down in front of him, Itachi picked it up to take a sip. The heat from the alcohol did little to warm his heart. It felt cold, ice cold and pierced in his chest, the image he saw at the hospital paining him so much he could feel physical ache. Or better, his mind made him experience it as such.

That smile... Sasuke's gentle, content smile had been too much for him to bear. That smile, only appearing when a certain person triggered it, otherwise remaining hidden from the world.

Back in the years, a lot brought a smile to Sasuke's face. He was a cheerful little fellow, amused by the tiniest things. A poke on his forehead brought by Itachi's fingers, a frog hopping into the small pool in their parents' garden. But once their father and mother died, the cheerful kid had turned bitter, the smiles a rarity and all the more precious since then. But, at least, Itachi knew how to make his Sasuke smile again, bringing him at least a bit of joy.

However now everything had changed. Itachi no longer held the impact on Sasuke he had when they were younger. Hell, he didn't have the same effect on Sasuke he had  _ one and a half years ago _ . He could no longer change his mood for the better, watching Sasuke lose himself in depression and sickness while Itachi was left watching. No matter how hard he tried to pull Sasuke closer, he'd always slip out of his grasp and drift further and further away.

Never had Itachi faced such a feeling of helplessness. There was nothing he could do, neither with the power he possessed nor with his wealth. All he could do was stand there and watch how Sasuke broke more and more apart while he failed to be the support his dear brother needed. Itachi had failed in his role as a brother and family, being a useless piece of nothing while Sasuke suffered. All the efforts and works of the previous years, their entire relationship, broke into pieces, bursting like a fragile bubble.

To some degree, it broke Itachi's heart. And it hurt so, so badly...

He drowned down the whiskey and immediately ordered another shot. Worthless as his time had turned, he could easily spend it getting drunk. At least he'd sleep straight to the next day while his dear Sasuke turned happy again, smiling and laughing and flowering like in the old days – in the company of somebody else.

He couldn't forgive Naruto. Never.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Itachi is very fixated on Sasuke in this universe, which will come out a bit more in the next chap.   
> It's gonna be a bit gloomy and dark from now on... and drama shall happen!  
> I like the tension in this chap. It's so promising :D  
> Since I have some days off I might update a bit sooner. But! Not making any promisses v.v 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed your time so far. 
> 
> Happy Easter and regards,  
> -T


	7. Drunk Reveals

When they first met and Sasuke and Naruto got into a relationship, Itachi had been grateful. As a brother there were needs he could never meet and he was happy Sasuke found somebody who'd become another pillar to him. Itachi had been hoping for such a day to come; Naruto had finally managed to bring the sun back in Sasuke's life. With his mind at peace, Itachi even considered taking a bit more care of himself, too – living out his needs like he was supposed to but denied in the past, when he had to become Sasuke's father and mother in the matter of hours.

However after the sides of Naruto Itachi got to know during the coma, he wished he had never met the kid.

While Naruto could make Sasuke shine like anyone else could in the world, he was also masterly hurting him. Never would Itachi forget the agony haunting Sasuke when the damn kid's condition improved while he never as much as acknowledged Sasuke's presence. God, Itachi had felt inclined to go to the hospital and do something he would regret. He couldn't bear watching Sasuke in so much pain, his dear little brother who already went through so much. It was cruel how Naruto was ignorant to his power and kept hurting Sasuke while there were so many good things he could do: He could easily make Sasuke smile again, make him gain his weight back, make him open up to the world he closed off over the months.

But instead he caused Sasuke so much pain and grief.

Itachi would do anything to have such an influence to Sasuke – and Naruto, who had it all, misused it so horribly he felt like tearing his own hair out.

And the worst of it all was the awareness that horridly painful and yet fulfilling relationship would last. While they broke each other regularly, Sasuke and Naruto were fantastic together. Their connection ran deep and was strong, stronger than any pain they would ever cause to each other. It was a connection meant to last for a lifetime.

A lifetime where Sasuke would experience utter happiness.

And a lifetime where Itachi would also have to witness the horrible agony Sasuke carried inside - with nothing there he could do to ease the pain.

And the only one able to make it better was the biggest moron Itachi came to detest with all his being. He detested Naruto for holding the power to bring happiness and sadness, he detested Naruto for having become such an important and present part of their lives. Never would Itachi be able to forgive him; the warmth he brought along would never be enough to overshadow the screaming agony he had caused. Even when his mere, God damn presence had been enough to make Sasuke awake from his unconscious state, Itachi would never be able to forgive Naruto for the nightmares he had been forced to live through.

When he looked into the friendly, open face of Naruto Uzumaki, Itachi would be immediately reminded of the pale, half-dead expression of Sasuke Uchiha. The image was burned too deep into his memory to ever be canceled – and nobody would ever manage to make him forget.

Even now, while he desperately tried to drown his mind in expensive alcohol, Itachi was bothered by his frustration, grief, and jealousy. Probably there was more down the line, but in his already tipsy state he couldn't come up with something better. Or better, didn’t feel like investigating further. 

He wondered how buzzed he actually was and thought about the consequences of getting totally wasted. Old perv that he was, Orochimaru might drag him into his filthy backrooms and have his way with him eventually. At least Itachi would get laid then.

Sighing he brought a hand up to his face, rubbing it slowly. He should have never gone into that bar. Itachi had forgotten just how bitter and malcontent booze made him.

Through the corner of his eye he saw somebody taking the empty seat next to him. Slowly he turned his head around, at first not recognizing the male thanks to his own miserable state and the poor light of the bar.

“What can I bring you?” Orochimaru braced himself against the counter as he asked.

“Water from a clean glass, please,” the new arrival replied with a smile on his face which couldn't be faker. That, along with the bold order, gave away who he was.

After taking another sip Itachi asked, “What are you doing here? Followed me?” His hands tightened around the glass in his hand, eyes locked on the amber liquid. 

“Yes,” Sai admitted neutrally. “You looked like you could need some company.” He turned his head slightly around, facing Itachi that way.

“I never asked for company.” Itachi grunted low in his throat, his eyes narrowed. Another bad side-effect of too much alcohol in his system; he'd get unreasonably grumpy.

“No, not verbally.” Sai picked up his glass and inspected it closely before he took a swallow. “Are you okay?”

“Nobody gives two shits about how I am, so it's nobody's concern.” Quickly Itachi brought up his glass and finished it in one go, the alcohol burning in his throat.

Right... nobody cared about him, not even Itachi himself. He simply was somebody people shouldn't be concerned for. No, they should care about Sasuke's and Naruto's well being. They should care about themselves. Itachi was a guardian, that being his most important role in life, and nobody ever cared about the guard but for what they guarded. That was how things were supposed to be.

“I care about you,” Sai stated, pulling him out of his thoughts.

Itachi lazily chuckled at the statement before picking up his new shot. “Then you're an idiot,” he replied with a smirk, staring at his whiskey right afterward.

“You're drunk.” Sai stated it so matter-of-factly Itachi couldn’t help another chuckle.

“Not quite, but on my way there.” He lifted the glass closer to his lips and tilted his head back, drowning the drink in a long shot. “This is merely tipsy,” he gasped after pushing the glass towards Orochimaru, nodding for him to pour another one.

“Is it wise to drink so much so fast?” Sai questioned, his eyebrows drawn together. As if he was truly concerned about him and his state of mind. 

“Drinking is always bad, no matter how you look at it.” Itachi crossed his arms over the counter for support. His head was spinning a bit, a clear sign he should take it slower.

“Then why doing it?”

With a heavy sigh Itachi closed his eyes. “Why are you trying so hard to converse with me?” he asked instead, feeling bothered. As long as Itachi was alone with the scum calling himself the bartender, he didn't mind how he appeared to others. With Sai there, it turned considerably harder to let go to the call of the alcohol, as if he didn't want to embarrass himself in front of him. Or better, as if some small, unbearably annoying part of him didn’t want to. 

“As I said, you looked like you needed company,” Sai answered with a smile which looked less fake than his previous one. “By talking to you, I thought I'd make my presence clear.”

“More than anything, you're keeping me from my goal to get drunk,” Itachi huffed while turning the glass in his hand. The ice in it clacked softly as he moved the liquid, not feeling like taking another swallow so soon.

Sai laughed softly at his answer. “That's good then. I read getting wasted is rather bad.” He sipped at his water again, apparently approving the state of the glass.

“Read? You mean you've never got drunk?” Itachi inquired, one of his eyebrows arching.

“No, not really,” Sai admitted.

“Good. Never touch this addicting shit.” Itachi huffed disapprovingly before taking a small sip. “It's dangerous to have such a way to get numb, especially when you got foolish little brothers and damned morons to deal with twenty-four-seven.” He stared at the amber liquid for a moment, disgusted of himself. Itachi had really forgotten how unbearable he got when he drank booze. Actually he regretted his previous drinks by then, deciding it would have been better if he rather settled for beating the shit out of the sandbag in his basement.

“Maybe you worry too much,” Sai implied while running his fingertips over the rim of his own glass.

“Pardon?”

“About Sasuke and Naruto,” Sai supplied neutrally. “They may get themselves into stupid situations just fine, but they're adults and supposed to figure things out on their own. It's not your duty to keep an eye on them or to smooth out what they did wrong.” He turned his head slightly, facing Itachi right on. 

Surely he could see the pure fury in Itachi's features, even in the poor light of the shady bar.

“You're in no position to talk with me like that,” he spat, inclined to just pay his bill and dump Sai where he sat. “What do you know about what goes through my head or about the worries of brothers? You don't even have as much as a family.”

The anger and the alcohol where clouding his judgment, however even with his blurry senses Itachi caught the flash of sadness in Sai's features. And in that very moment, Itachi regretted what he said and damned the whiskey colorfully in his mind.

“I had a brother in the past,” Sai quietly told, his head lowering ever so slightly, “We weren't related by blood, but I still considered him family. So, in point of fact, I can understand your worries perfectly well.”

Shit. He felt even worse now.

“Forgive me. I- I shouldn't have said that.” Itachi wanted to properly apologize, but all he could do was hold his head weakly. He definitely had too much already and getting wasted that night was probably one of the worst decisions he ever made.

Sai shrugged lightly before replying, “It's nothing. I never mentioned it, so there was no way for you to know about him. Besides, this is hardly you speaking, but more the alcohol.” He still faced away, his shoulders the slightest bit more tensed than before. Maybe he wasn’t aware just how much he showed of himself, how close the nasty comment got to him.

“Nothing excuses my rudeness,” Itachi insisted before ordering a glass of water. “You should leave before more bullshit comes out of my mouth,” he suggested, bitter about himself.

“As I said, this is hardly you.” Sai motioned for another glass for himself, too. “And your company is still enjoyable, in a very twisted way.”

Itachi was too drunk to make out if that was a joke or not, so he let it slip through. “I tell you, never touch booze. It turns you into somebody else,” he said, simply to break the uncomfortable silence between them. He was also curious, quite a lot actually, and eventually he gave in to the pull. Were he more sober Itachi would have been able to resist the urge, but he had crossed his line long ago already.

“What was your brother like?” he asked, showing honest interest for the answer. The question may have been a bit too direct, but Itachi couldn't help it.

Sai pushed his new glass around for a while before he answered. “He was a lively, cheery person. Just a few months older than me.” A gentle smile graced his lips, probably the most natural Itachi ever saw on him. “Sadly we knew each other only for a couple of years before he died. Naruto reminds me a lot of him, character-wise. That's probably the main reason I developed this deep friendship to him.”

“I'm sorry. For your brother, I mean,” Itachi commented, feeling even worse than before. Not only had he insulted Sai – he had also brought up a probably painful topic as well. The thought of Sasuke dying made him so sick he could throw up. How must Sai feel, who had actually faced that horrid situation?

“He'd likely be proud of me today.” He rested his head on top of one hand, sighing softly. “To see that I have so many bonds. He was always worried I'd end up alone, someday.” Sai turned his head a little, just enough so he could look at Itachi again. Previously he had stared at the bottles and glasses stacked up the shelves in front of them. “I thought I recognized the same in the worry you have for Sasuke. You don't want him to stand alone, especially after the experiences brought by Naruto's coma.”

For a moment Itachi wondered how he got himself figured out so quickly, but then again he assumed he both didn't particularly hide his thoughts at the moment and gave Sai way too little credit for his observational skills. So there wasn't much point in hiding anything anymore.

“That,” he confirmed, “Along with the wish to not see him hurt again. Sasuke doesn't deserve being in pain, especially after everything he did.” Itachi took a swallow of his water, washing the taste of alcohol out of his mouth. “The problem is, the only thing making him truly happy is the same that actually pains him. A true dilemma like from a fucking TV soap.”

“Apparently booze makes you painfully honest,” Sai chuckled, “I can't recall ever having heard you use this type of speech.”

“Never lose a word of this in front of Sasuke. I usually tell him to mind his language; if he knew, he'd lose the last bit of respect he has of me right away.” Itachi chuckled at himself and his misery right after he finished, the pull on his lips indicating he was smirking. What he implied may be truer than he wanted. Who knew how much Sasuke actually respected him compared to before.

“I don't think respect has a bigger role in your relationship,” Sai unexpectedly threw in. When Itachi glanced at him in confusion, he noticed the thoughtful expression he wore. “I think it's much more driven by affection. You love Sasuke so much and therefore wrack yourself with worry over him.”

“Is that really it?” Itachi asked, his eyes staring down at his glass of water. “Am I worried about Sasuke's well being, or that the day will come where there's no room left for me?”

Now that he thought about it – as much as he could with his head spinning from the alcohol – it made sense. Maybe the whole reason for the antipathy he held to Naruto was the pure fear to be pushed away by him. The fear that, if the situation came up where Sasuke had to choose between them, Itachi would lose. And once he was closed out, he would have no way to be there and catch Sasuke if he fell for the thousandth time. And Itachi would also be left standing alone, cut off every sort of contact he once held to the people around him.

There was a gentle shake on his shoulder. “I don't think that day will ever come,” Sai assured, his hand slowly pulling back. “Brothers and lovers are two different things. One doesn't exclude the other and as long as it stays like that, you'll be fine.” He offered a gentle smile as he finished, a supporting gesture Itachi was grateful for. It was soothing hearing such words from another person, as well as the experience that he wasn't judged for what he thought. Sai had been exceptionally understanding to his worries and bore his moods rather well. Itachi hadn't spoken so openly to somebody in a very long time… hadn’t had a friend he trusted enough with it. 

“Thank you,” he said without putting much thought to the context. Sai didn't seem to mind, just like for most of the evening already.

Pulling out his wallet, Itachi paid for their drinks before getting up. He swayed slightly, another sign for too much drink, but wasn't doing bad enough to need support.

Sai looked worried though when he got up. “Do you need a ride home?” he asked, concern written all over his face as he spoke.

Itachi shook his head with a smile – a true, gentle smile. “I'll have somebody come and pick me up. I'm in no condition to drive.” Sai opened his mouth as if he wanted to throw something in, but Itachi was quicker. “And if you'd take me along on your scooter, I doubt I could hold myself up on it,” he joked, laughing at the mental image he supplied himself with.

“Actually, I thought about taking you home with your own car. I have a driving license.” Sai may have sounded neutral as he spoke, but the slight furrow on his eyebrows looked as if he felt slightly insulted by the assumption.

“I don't want to bother you more than already,” Itachi insisted, his eyes closing half when he looked down at the slightly shorter frame. “You've done more than enough tonight.”

“If that's what you think...” Sai murmured, not entirely convinced of the idea.

They were both heading for the exit when Itachi broke the silence between them one last time.

“I'd appreciate if what he talked about stays here. I'm afraid if you bespeak any of this, I'll have to get rid of you,” he stated with a smirk gracing his lips - a smirk that had a sharp, almost predatory edge to it. 

“Is that so?” Sai chuckled in response. “Will you do it yourself or hire a killer for the job?”

“Killer?” Itachi laughed, “I'd send my driver. Kisame doesn't care about the kind of work I give him; all that matters to him is the monthly paycheck.”

The way they laughed at the statement felt endlessly natural to Itachi – and for a blessed moment he managed to push all his worries away.

 

~*~

 

Instead of trying Naruto's room, Sai headed straight for the floor Sasuke was stationed in. For the past two weeks, Naruto happened to be in there every single time he came for a visit. Rumors told they even wanted to move together, however were declined the request due to a couple of factors - the strongest being the staff would have to endure their bickering even more then. 

“Naruto, I'm serious, stop that!” he heard Sasuke's voice once he stood close to the door. For a moment Sai wondered if he happened to run into yet another fight, but walked in anyhow. He knew Itachi was going to visit in a few and to make things a bit easier for him he planned to take Naruto away temporarily.

Since the evening at the bar, Sai had the feeling he and Itachi were somewhat closer than before; they were open and honest with each other and Sai got to know other parts of Itachi's character and habits. For example, he had a borderline ridiculous sweet tooth and needed a cool dessert after half of his meals to properly enjoy them. He also got the feeling he understood Itachi's problems better, the misery he was in. Actually, Sai thought he still liked Naruto quite a lot but was also shaken by Sasuke's incident with the sleeping pills, which had been partly related to him. But he was inclined to keep that to himself for the time being. After all, he did gave Itachi a promise. Talking about it openly would be like betraying him.

Inside the room, the first thing he saw was a rather angry Sasuke with Naruto hovering over his broken leg. “Naruto, seriously! Stop drawing shit on my cast!” he barked, trying to pull away but only ending up gasping in pain. His hip was doing rather well already, but it obviously still stung moving his pelvis.

“This isn't shit, it's art! And I let you draw on my cast as well, believe it,” Naruto replied while running a thick marker over the white cast.

“That's different,” Sasuke insisted with a huff, “My writing hand is fine, yours' in a fucking cast. I don't want to see your ugly left-handed scribbling on my leg for so long.”

“Oh shut up. It's gonna turn out just fine,” Naruto assured while moving his left hand over the cast, the marker making lines on it. “You can call it abstract art!”

“It's not abstract. It's plain ugly,” Sasuke snorted, eventually giving in.

Sai, who had managed to catch a glance on the cast, could barely hold back a wince. What Naruto was doing there wasn't art at all; more a violation of beauty and the nice crafting of art, that is. Subtly he pulled out his phone – the other two were so lost in their discussion they had yet to notice him – and texted Itachi to take some paint along. No offense to Naruto, but he better never touched a pen again in his life if he planned using it to draw. The world should be spared from such ugliness.

Walking deeper into the room, Sai eventually made his presence clear and drew Sasuke's and Naruto's attention right away.

“Oh, hi!” Naruto greeted with a smile. “Look what I just made! Good, isn't it?”

“I've... seen it,” Sai carefully replied, torn between telling the truth and not wanting to hurt Naruto's feelings. He seemed to put a lot of effort into it after all.

“Ah,” Naruto gasped, his eyes flashing for a moment when he noticed the briefcase. Immediately he turned his wheelchair around and slowly pushed towards Sai. “I got to go. I'll see you later, alright?” he called over his shoulder.

“Why that?” Sasuke asked, his eyebrows furrowing. “I don't mind Sai at all,” he added, as if he tried to convince them to stay with him.

“Can't a man have his secrets?” Naruto threw him a cheeky smile with his response.

Sasuke merely smirked at the comment and replied, “The saying goes 'can't a woman'. But since you're the girl in this relationship, I get what you mean.” He chuckled at his own teaser, even more so when he earned himself a glare.

“I just haven't had my way with you here because I was concerned about your hip. Once it's healed and my cast off, I'll tab that ass of yours, Uchiha,” Naruto threw back, turning around once he was close to Sai. If they were heading back to his own room, it would take too long if Naruto moved on his own.

“Right,” Sasuke chuckled, his expression smug when he lazily waved them goodbye.

Once outside Naruto huffed before crossing his arms over his chest. “That asshole. I'm gonna teach him some manners once I have enough muscles, believe it.” His lips pulled into a pout while they headed down the corridor. Quickly changing the subject he asked, “So, you got another few sketches for me?”

Sai nodded while he pushed the wheelchair, only then realizing Naruto couldn't see it. “Yes,” he responded, pausing at the elevators.

“Awesome! I can't wait to see them,” Naruto cheered, entering the elevator himself once the doors opened. Soon they closed again and they rode down a few floors. “And how are things with Sakura?”

Taken off guard, Sai furrowed his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

“Come on Sai. You like her, don't you?” Naruto implied with a large grin on his face.

“Yes... I think so.” Sai wondered why his voice sounded so insecure. He did like her, didn't he? But, strangely, the last few weeks he had thought less and less about her. Quite odd, given she dominated all his thoughts with his fascination to her. Sai had liked how she could express her feelings so openly – be them the worry about Naruto, relief when he woke up, or her dislike for Sasuke. She felt so real and true to him Sai had felt quite drawn to her. Yet he couldn't even properly recall the last time his thoughts had wandered to her.

Maybe he had just been too busy? Between work, visiting Naruto, and Itachi he had close to no spare time at hand. There was no way he could squeeze Sakura in there, too.

So lost in his thoughts, he missed the questioning look he received from Naruto.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> This is one of my favorite moments of the entire story.   
> I loved messing with drunk!Itachi... he's always so gentle and caring I wanted to see him in a different state.   
> Alcohol can greatly change people, so I figured he'd totally be the honestly bomb grumpy kinda drunk xD   
> But being Itachi, he is still aware how dispicable he is. And self-loathing. And stuff xD 
> 
> Uhu, promising end. What did happen to Sai's feelings for Sakura?   
> Bet some of you know why he didn't think about her recently ;D hurr hurr hurr. 
> 
> Happy easter and regards,  
> -T


	8. Something's Cooking

The doors opened again and Sai proceeded to push Naruto back to his room. They remained silent on their way, but once he closed the door behind them he heard a loud clearing of a throat.

“Can I look at them?” Naruto asked as he pointed at the briefcase in his lap. It got there when they left Sasuke’s room; Sai needed both hands to push the wheelchair properly. 

As soon as Sai nodded, Naruto opened the briefcase and pulled out the thin sketchbook. Immediately he flipped over the pages, his eyes scanning the drawings closely. He was frowning, a sign for how serious and concentrated he was, but otherwise his expression was hard to read. Though, at some point he frowned a bit harder than usual.

A bit excited – Sai was always a little nervous when he showed his portraits to other people – he shifted his weight and tried to wait the moment out when Naruto would speak. However the silence between them lasted unusually long and with every passing moment, Sai felt more and more on edge.

“Something wrong?” When the tension grew too big to endure, Sai found the words spill over his lips too quickly for him to control.

“No, it's just...” Naruto trailed off, his eyes still fixed at the sketchbook. “Itachi looks really...  _ happy _ . Like you two are having a rather good time.” He looked up from the portraits, his eyes shining oddly as he closely studied Sai.

“I'd lie if I said I don't enjoy the time with him.” For a second Sai pressed his lips together, his eyes narrowing at the inquisitive glance. “What's the matter?”

“Nothing,” Naruto answered, but Sai didn't buy it. Something was cooking and he was unsure whether that was a good or a bad thing. “Have you perhaps been in a confectionery or something?” With that Naruto lowered the sketchbook, his finger pointing at a corner of the sheet. It showered half of Itachi's body, like he had been sitting on a table or something, while a plate of pralines laid in front of him. He smiled tenderly at the viewer, his perfect teeth showing off a little between his slightly opened lips while he kept his eyes closed. The portrait  _ radiated  _ serenity.

Remembering the day, Sai gave a quick nod. “Yes. I've been looking for a color to add to a drawing for him, but I lack the ability to pick one. That place was rather colorful so he suggested to go there and see if I found inspiration.” He chuckled softly at the memory. “Though, later I figured he just looked for an excuse to get himself some candy there.”

Sai expected Naruto to laugh along at the suggestion, but he remained unusually serious. It was kind of... unsettling in a way.

“You're acting strange,” he finally admitted, his dark eyes locking with Naruto's blue ones. “Just spit it out already.”

For a long moment Naruto just looked back, but eventually leaned back with a sigh. “I'm just... happy, I guess. Really. I'm glad to see these changes,” he admitted with a smile. “I'd need you to keep observing Itachi for a while longer though. Can you do that for me?” His head cocked a little when he added that, his face wearing an odd expression Sai couldn’t properly decipher.

“Yes, I can do that,” he confirmed, his brows drawn together. He could tell Naruto was hiding something, but it didn’t look like he would reveal it anytime soon. There were some things he was stubborn with and it felt like this was one of them.

As frustrating as it was, all Sai could do was wait and hope to figure it out on his own.

  


~*~

  


Sighing Itachi took off his glasses and rubbed his tired eyes. Tentatively he glanced at the time in the corner of his screen, making a few calculations in his head. With the amount of work he had left for the day he wouldn't be able to visit Sasuke before the opening hours of the hospital were over.

He laid his glasses down on the desk, using his free hand to pick up the phone and quickly tipp in a number. It rang only a few times before the other end was picked up.

>Yeah?< Sasuke's annoyed voice spoke.

Perhaps Itachi couldn't go visit him in person, but the least he wanted to do was talk a little with him. After the talk with Sai at the bar he came a bit to terms with a few things - like that his jealousy was not worth breaking off the contact with a beloved person, even if he constantly ran the risk of being put off. 

“Hello little brother,” he greeted, considerably friendlier than Sasuke. “Sorry, but it looks like I can't make it to the hospital today. A crazy lot of last minute things came up, all due for tomorrow.” He leaned back on his chair and undid the top buttons of his shirt. The meetings were over, so he might as well make himself comfortable. 

>Figures.< Sasuke huffed into the phone, loud enough to make the line crack a little. >Can you bring me my laptop or something when you come for the next visit? That way I could at least work through my emails.<

“No way. You're supposed to rest, not work,” Itachi replied in a serious tone.

>My leg is broken, not my head. I can do that!< Itachi furrowed his eyebrows at the harsh,  sharp tone of Sasuke’s voice. He stared down at the number flashing on the display for a moment, as if it would help him understand.

“Sasuke, is everything alright?” he eventually asked.

>I'm perfectly fine!<

The snap made Itachi only more suspicious than he already was. “You sound rather angry. Did something happen?” For a moment he considered the option to drop everything and head straight for the hospital. No sale on the world was more important than Sasuke; he could still finish all up in his office at home.

>Don't come here,< Sasuke threw in, as if he read his thoughts. >I'm just... really pissed off at the moment. Nothing big.< A heavy sigh came along with the answer, though it sounded sincere enough to be believable.

“How come?” Itachi asked, moving the conversation on as he relaxed against his chair once more. Ever so slightly he had leaned forward, his body ready to get in motion. “I have to admit it's been a while I saw you this upset.”

Sasuke murmured lowly to himself, growling once in between, before he finally replied. >Naruto came up with something very,  _ very  _ stupid recently. He drives me up the wall at times, with his moronic actions and dump ideas.<

Itachi had a hard time holding back the evil chuckle threatening to escape. “What, did he want to repaint your cast?” he implied, liking the idea that what he drew over Sasuke's cast was taken over his own ugly work.

As mentioned before, he came to terms with a few things. The hate toward Naruto was not among them. 

>No way I let him scribble over me like that again. It's my cast and I put the design on it I fucking want.< Sasuke gave another huff and Itachi could nearly see him, the phone trapped between his neck and shoulder so he could cross his arms in disapproval.

“Language,” Itachi gently reminded with a soft chuckle.

>So, how else was your day?< Sasuke asked but just as Itachi wanted to answer he yelled, >What the hell?! Get the fuck out of here!<

“Sasuke?” Itachi called in confusion.

>But Sasuke-,< said another voice, sounding somehow far away.

>I don't want to see your stupid face now! Get back to your room and think about what you've done, moron!< Sasuke yelled, probably meant for the other person but forgot he still had the phone close by. Itachi had pulled the headpiece away as a reaction to the loud voice, his eyes narrowing down on the item still in his hand.

>But, I told you I'm sorry! I never meant to-<

>I give you three seconds to leave or I throw the remote at you,< Sasuke growled. >One.<

>You wouldn't throw something at somebody in a wheelchair now, would you?!< the other voice called and Itachi recognized it as Naruto's. That only served to confuse him further.

> _ Two _ .<

>Sasuke, come on, you can't be serious about-<

>Three!< A second later Itachi heard weird noises coming from his phone he couldn't properly name.

>Gwah! What the hell, bastard?!< Naruto barked in anger. Probably the remote had hit him after all, judging Sasuke was rather good at aiming.

>The next thing flying your way is the chair. Don't test me on this, Naruto,< Sasuke warned and Itachi found himself liking the entertainment. The idea that Naruto got to taste some of his own medicine brought quite some delight to his more evil side.

>But Sasuke...<

>I'm serious. I give you another three seconds.<

>But _ Sasuke! _ <

>One,< Sasuke counted and Itachi heard another noise, sounding much alike the chair close to the bed being moved. Next came something like a shriek and seconds later Sasuke breathed out loudly.

“I'm concerned about asking what just happened,” Itachi chuckled, quite pleased.

>Sorry,< Sasuke grunted with another sigh.

“I take it the remote hit him?” He turned a little around on his chair, so that he could look at the drawing of the snake on the wall.

>Right on the head,< Sasuke confirmed, his voice still carrying some bite. >So, will you meet up with Sai again soon?< he asked, forcing his tone to get smoother than before.

“I planned to go to his place on Friday, after I visited you,” Itachi told, a smile gracing his lips when he thought about it. If possible, he looked even more forward to spend time with Sai than before. He felt comfortable in his company, going as far as to call him a friend – a rarity in Itachi's mostly lonely life.

>Hn.<  Itachi could tell he was debating about something only because he knew him since the day he was born - everyone else simply saw Sasuke’s signature response in that. 

Leaning back on his chair he asked, “You see a problem in that, little brother?”

>You spend quite some time in his company. As if you were interested in him.<

“Even if I were, I don't see how that is any of your concern.” Itachi made sure to sound calm, though he also wanted to draw a clear line up to which point he tolerated Sasuke’s opinion on the matter. “I may choose with whom to spend my time with as well as how I do it.”

>I get that much, thank you,< Sasuke drily replied. >I'm just... I don't want you to get hurt, Itachi. Especially since he means so much to you.<

Dark eyebrows drew together in suspicion. “Is there something I should know, Sasuke?” Itachi inquired, not really surprised Sasuke picked up his interest in Sai. While Itachi knew him since he was born, Sasuke had had more than enough time for his personal Itachi-studies as well. There was only so much they could hide from each other. 

>He's one of Naruto's best friends. That itself is more than concerning.< The reason was plainly logical, something Sasuke would only get back to if he wanted to give a quick reply. If they were involved, that is. 

“You are the one dating the biggest moron on the planet; I hardly believe there is a worse choice than Naruto Uzumaki,” Itachi replied with a smirk, chuckling when he heard the snarl from the other end.

>Today is one where I have to agree with you, as bitter as it makes me.< The rustling of sheets in the background suggested Sasuke was moving, probably making himself a bit more comfortable. >That's why I warn you, big brother. I don't want you to suffer.<

“I will look after myself,” Itachi promised with a gentle smile gracing his lips.

>If, you know...< Sasuke trailed off, his discomfort and awkwardness clearly noticeable. >If something happens, call me, alright? I'm your brother and there for you when you need me.<

“This sounds like you are expecting things to go bad. As if you knew something I don't,” Itachi implied, his body tensing for some reason. Sasuke had never spoken with him like that before, let alone offered his support as a brother. It was a role reserved for Itachi – the big brother took care of the little brother, not the other way round.

>I'm just really worried, that's all. If there is something I know better than you then it's the risk and pain which can come along when you open yourself to somebody.< For a moment Sasuke paused and swallowed, as if he had trouble speaking. >I know the result can sometimes be true agony... and just wanted you to know that I'm here if you need me.<

It sounded clumsy and awkward, but Itachi still felt his chest warm at the words. The thought Sasuke was looking out for him was beautiful – the care in his words obvious thought he had problems bringing them out.

“Thank you,” Itachi said - and actually meaning it.

  


~*~

  


“That's not enough, Sir.” 

Torn out of his thoughts Sai looked up, his mind trying to piece together what was happening. “Sorry?” he eventually replied, no real clue what the woman on the other side of the pay desk wanted from him. 

Impatiently she tapped her fingers on the money Sai had handed her. “I need another five to cover the items.”

“Oh. Right.” He pulled some more money from his wallet, his fingers fumbling a little with the change as he put it away. He didn't mind counting it but instead picked up his plastic bag and headed out of the store, his mind as unfocused as when he had first entered it. Thankfully it was just two streets away from his studio; his head was so all over the place, he might haven't even been able to find his way back otherwise.

It had started in the elevator, when Naruto had mentioned Sakura. Sai had started to wonder why he didn't think about her more often... considering he felt in a rather romantic way for her. At first it was easy to blame his busy schedule, but if he was honest with himself, Sai knew it was just an empty excuse. His feelings for her had subsided; she was still a close friend, but while he thought he was in love with her before it now felt different. He didn't look at her the way he used to anymore, which was fine as far as he guessed. He never came out with his feelings so it was easy to fall back to how he usually treated her. 

However, that lead to another realization.

Over the last few weeks, he felt more for Itachi than before. While they just used to be hasty acquaintances having a business relationship, Itachi had become something like a friend to Sai. A rather close one, too. They had shared stories and opinions, laughed together about everything and nothing. They got along very well, too – it felt like Itachi trusted him, in many aspects.

And that made Sai feel  _ horrible _ .

Even if they were close friends now, nothing changed the fact that, on the very beginning, Sai had only got closer to find out some things for Naruto. Back then it had been alright to fake some of his interest to get what he needed, but once Itachi turned into a friend Sai felt like shit for having done that. Itachi's trust was hard to gain and if knew Sai had approached him because of a favor to Naruto, he'd feel betrayed and angry. Rightfully so, too. Probably he'd never want to see Sai again once he told the truth – and he wouldn't blame Itachi for it. Still, he hoped to somehow protect the special friendship they had grown and had spent the last few days thinking hard about how he could somehow wiggle himself out of the dilemma.

In the end, Sai decided it would be the best if he told Naruto he could no longer help him while never telling Itachi about the favor to begin with. Sai figured he could live with the bad conscience for as long as he could hear Itachi's soft laughter once in a while, most likely when they discussed over art at a confectionery. Eventually he'd forget about the whole reason which brought him together with Itachi - and then he could surely look himself in the mirror again.

However, he had to struggle to keep his farce up until then. He couldn't risk Itachi getting suspicious – what may have already happened, given Itachi was an extremely smart and observant man – so Sai had to find ways to keep himself in check. Perhaps he could just talk Itachi into them not seeing each other for a while? His art exhibition was approaching; he'd surely understand he'd be busy in the meantime, with preparations and formalities. Yeah... Sai was sure he'd buy it. Today would be the best chance, too – Itachi was coming by later. There was no better opportunity to turn his plan into reality.

Now, all Sai had to do was pull himself together enough to say it with a straight face.

“Hey,” somebody suddenly called, making Sai stop for a moment. His plastic bag with groceries rocked slightly when he came to a halt next to an alley. He recognized the place – further up the street was his studio.

A figure was standing in the dark side-street, dressed in torn jeans and a hoodie. This head was covered mostly, yet a bit of long, blond hair fell down from the side of its face. “You're Sai, aren't you, hn?” the figure asked, the head slightly lifting and the crossed arms undoing.

“Yes,” Sai confirmed, a bit confused.

The next moment a fist met his face, so hard Sai stumbled backwards and fell to the ground. The punch had been strong and surprising – his entire head was hurting and he tasted blood in his mouth. Because of the fall he had dropped his bag, the item laying a few feet away from him while he rubbed his aching jaw.

Usually Sai would have quickly got up again, but the hit had been so forceful he felt dizzy; too dizzy to as much as defend himself while the man dragged him into the alley and threw him against the brick-wall on the side. He only managed to brace himself on it long enough to receive the next punch to his face, again sending him to the ground.

Coughing slightly he sat up, a hiss on his lips. “What the fuck...”

“I heard you're in that big exhibition taking place soon, hn,” the man said while standing before him. Sai could hardly look up, his head still spinning. “You with your ugly, meaningless art... pah! To think they turned  _ me _ down in favor of you is close to an insult, hn.” The venom was dripping from his voice, the single eye visible staring daggers at him.

“Art is something the people declare as such,” Sai replied as the dizziness subsided a little, but he was still not feeling well enough to get up. 

“Only an ignorant little shit like you could say such a thing!” Next thing he knew Sai was grabbed by the collar and jerked in a standing position, the brickwall hard against his back. The man pushed him so hard against the wall it turned hard to breathe, yet he reached his hands up to struggle with the stranger.

Gasping, Sai realized he couldn't move in the position he was in. He was slightly shorter than the man and the hits took a greater effect than he first thought. Inside the dark alley he couldn't see much, safe for the long blond hair and angry blue eyes – and the evil grin when one hand pulled back for another punch.

However the impact never came.

Suddenly the man curled together with a grunt – undoubtedly because of the fist digging into his stomach. Whoever had hit him was slightly crouched, his arm still stretched out while he forced the man off-balance and kicked him hard in the gut, along with a punch very similar to the one the man delivered first in Sai's face. The impact was strong enough to send him down the alley, hitting a few barrels of garbage before he came to a halt.

As the iron grab loosened, Sai sunk down the wall while he coughed for breath, drawing in air in short pants. After a moment or two he looked up, seeing the man who had come to help him was standing tall in the alley, his head slightly turned down while he glared at the stranger. He looked truly heroic, his frame perfect even when his hair laid flat against his head. Only then did Sai realize it was raining rather hard… It must have started when he got beaten up. 

“Still too much of a coward to face somebody head-on, Deidara?” the man asked, voice smooth and authoritarian as he spoke.

“Damn you, Uchiha!” the man called Deidara barked as he got up. Pieces of wet trash stuck to his body on some spots, which he tossed away with disgust written all over his face. “Always getting in my way like this... You haven't changed at all...!”

“So haven't you dirty piece of scum,” Itachi returned with a step forward, standing securely between Sai and Deidara.

“This is none of your business, hn.” Deidara clenched his hands into fists on either side of his body. “Out of my way.”

“I doubt you have any business with Sai.” Ever so slightly Itachi relaxed his body, as if his body language would somehow relaxed the tense atmosphere. “You know I can kick your ass even with my hands tied behind my back. Give me a reason to rather call the cops instead of taking care of you myself.” 

Deidara merely smirked while cracking his fingers. “You were just lucky to take me off guard, Uchiha. You can't stand a chance against me in a fair battle, hn.”

“You're one to talk.” 

What happened next was almost too quick for Sai to catch.

At first, Deidara launched forward and tried to land a hit, but Itachi smoothly sidestepped and instead kicked and beat the crap out of him. It was fast and fluid, as if Itachi had never done anything else in his life, while the sound of the rain, pained grunts, and disgusted cracks filled the air. The scene was brutal for the moments it lasted – because, not a minute later, Itachi was holding him up with a tight grasp on his throat, Deidara struggling to pull free.

Calmly Itachi stated, “If I ever see you in this part town again, I won't go this easy on you. And believe me – I  _ will _ know if you crawl around the alleys here.”

With that he threw Deidara back between the garbage, only that this time he didn't get up again.

Wiping his hands on his wet, dark pants, Itachi looked at the barrels for a moment longer before he turned around and walked back to where Sai sat. “Are you alright?” he asked, crouched in front of Sai so they could look into each other's eyes.

Sai nodded weakly, his eyes dropping to the shirt beneath Itachi's jacket. “There's... blood,” he murmured, his mind still unable to wrap around what had just happened.

“Don't worry, it's not mine,” Itachi assured before offering him his hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> Brutal fighting scene. I wanted to make a connection to canon, where Itachi kicked Deidara's ass as well.   
> I liked the scene though I kept it short, mostly since it's from Sai's PoV and he is a bit out of it. 
> 
> Only two more chaps, then the story is done :D   
> Just a little more! 
> 
> Regards,  
> T


	9. Hurt and Betrayal

“Can you stand? We should get you home sooner rather than later.”

Nodding Sai grasped the hand, allowing Itachi to lift him up to his feet. He still felt a bit dizzy, but not so much that he'd collapse. “Do you need an ambulance?” Itachi asked as they walked out of the shady alley. 

Sai shook his head lightly, the rain getting into his eyes. “It just hurts a bit. And I don't want you to get problems with explaining why there is blood all over you.” He watched as Itachi leaned down to pick up his bag of groceries, the morbid scene still vivid before his inner eye.

“The blood on my suit shouldn't prevent you from getting help.” Itachi stood so close to Sai he wrapped one arm around him when they headed down the street, the bag of groceries in his other hand. “Will you really be alright?”

“Nothing a bag of ice and a patch can't fix. I've been in fights before.” 

Though he said that, Sai felt the realization sink in only slowly. What he had seen in that alley felt like a dream – Itachi coming to his rescue and beating someone up like in a movie. His memory felt surreal more than anything. 

“Who was that... Deidara was his name, right?” he asked after a moment, simply to somehow break the awkward silence between them. The rain felt chilly against his body, but he also couldn't find the will to run home faster.

“We used to go to school together, when I was still aiming towards art,” Itachi casually told, his pace exactly the same as Sai's. “An annoying guy who sneaked up on people and stabbed them in the back when they were better than him. It doesn't surprise me he hasn't changed in all these years and still goes after artists more successful than he could ever be. However, I don't think he'll come after you again.” A smirk graced his lips, but it was somehow prouder, darker than usual. As if he enjoyed beating someone up to consciousness. “The lesson I gave him should last for another few years.”

Eventually they reached Sai's studio, though he struggled a little to unlock the door. In front of the building was also Itachi's car, neatly parked there like it was just a normal day while the rain cascaded down on them.

Once the door opened, Itachi walked calmly in and placed the plastic bag close to the door before he took off his soaked shoes. “Where do you keep the first aid kit?” he asked, his tone so casual it felt unreal.

“In the bathroom, inside the drawer,” Sai monotonously answered while he took off his own shoes and jacket. He could still taste blood in his mouth while he walked into the kitchen with the groceries, sitting down on one of the higher chairs he had close to the counter.

Soon Itachi returned, the first aid kit in his hand when he approached. Silently he put the item down on the counter before opening it and checking the insides. Eventually he settled for a piece of cotton and disinfectant. He poured some of the liquid on the cotton before he turned around, his hand gently holding Sai's chin while he forced him to look up.

“This might sting a little,” he warned before tapping the cotton against the cut on Sai's upper lip. It burned like crazy, drawing low hisses while he stared up at Itachi.

Still unbelievably normal Itachi reached into the kit again, taking out a patch he attempted to put over the wound.

Before it touched his skin, Sai slapped the careful hands violently away.

“What-” Itachi murmured but was immediately cut off.

“Why do you do this? Why are you acting so casual?!” Sai growled, his hands shaking with frustration.

He didn't get it. He didn't understand why Itachi did what he did – and was terrified of the possible answer.

“Why didn't you just call the police but instead beat Deidara up like that?! You have blood all over you!”

He didn't want to hear the answer while his entire body shook violently, feeling cold and chilly and shivering all over.

“I couldn't,” Itachi calmly answered.

“Why?!” Sai demanded, still shaking while he stared at the disgustingly calm Itachi.

Taking a deep breath, Itachi told, “When I saw him hit you like that, I couldn't stop myself. I had to make him pay for what he did to you and make sure he'll never show up again.” He smiled, sadness reflecting in his eyes as he spoke. “I'm sorry if I upset you.”

Sai forced himself to breathe calmly while he felt fresh blood run down his chin, the guilt so heavy on his shoulders. “I don't want you to do such horrible things... not for me,” he whispered, unable to look Itachi in the eye. “Never do something like that again.” His frame still shook while he sat on the high chair again, one hand coming up to wipe his chin. 

He vaguely noticed Itachi moved closer, only really realizing it when his head was gently pulled back an the patch placed over his wound. “I promise,” Itachi whispered before placing a gentle kiss on his damp forehead. Then his warmth moved away, Sai staring at his back as he walked towards the door.

“What are you doing?” Sai asked, utterly confused.

Itachi stopped and looked back over his shoulder, a bit surprised. “I thought you'd want me to leave.” His eyes studied him closely, something unreadable reflecting in their depths.

“No. Stay,” Sai answered, one hand ranking through his own hair.

“Are you sure about that?” Itachi questioned while he turned fully around.

“Yes,” Sai confirmed. “I'm just a bit... upset. Nobody ever did something like that for me before.”

Itachi offered him a gentle smile. “I'm glad I was the first, in that case.” He walked closer to Sai, the gentleness radiating from him almost too much to bear. “You can rely on me when you need help. Never forget that.”

Sai weakly nodded, still unable to look into Itachi's eyes. He was so disgusted with himself be could barely stand it... to think he fooled Itachi for so long made him feel sick.

“Maybe we should get showered, otherwise we'll get sick.” Itachi tried to worm out of his jacket as he spoke, face grimacing just a little. “Can I borrow a towel and a pair of old pants until my clothes are dry?”

“Yes, of course. You can go in first, too,” Sai murmured while getting up from the chair. He walked over to his closet and quickly pulled out a large, black towel along with the loosest pair of pants he recalled owning. Itachi was a few sized bigger than him; no way he would fit into any of his other clothes.

“Thanks,” Itachi said when he accepted the things. “Where should I put my clothes once I'm done?”

“Just leave them there. I'll put everything away once I'm done.”

“Alright. I'll make it quick.” With that Itachi left, his steps so loud when he moved into the bathroom and the noise of the water echoing through Sai's head.

Though it didn't stop his thoughts from running over. When Sai thought he'd be confused by his feelings before, now he was clearly overtaxed.

He couldn't bear it. He couldn't bear Itachi's honest care and gentleness while he lied right into his face. Sai didn't deserve such a friend, not after everything he did. Not after Itachi stood guard by his side and treated his wounds. Not after he beat the living shit out of somebody and only regretted it because it upset Sai. It was wrong in so many levels… he rather took the risk to have Itachi never speak with him again than keep up the lie their friendship was based on. He couldn't bear those gentle black eyes looking at him that way any longer.

He… had to finally settle things. 

 

+*+

 

 

The water stopped running in the bathroom and the door opened seconds later. Itachi walked out of it, warmed up again after the short but hot shower. The adrenaline in his system had kept him from noticing just how cold the rain had been on his skin. Only when he had undressed had he noticed the strong shaking of his hands.

Sai must have felt quite the same, so Itachi had hurried up. He didn't even waste time properly drying his body, let alone dress. Instead he had walked right out of the bathroom with the towel tied around his waist and loose pants in one hand. The only thing he did was briefly drying his hair; since it was so long, he used to make quite a mess when he walked around with it dripping wet.

“The bathroom's free,” he called down the corridor even before he stepped into the living-area. When he spotted Sai however he froze in position, his eyebrows drawing together. “What's wrong?” Itachi asked while he carefully approached.

Sai was sitting on the couch, his upper body bowed down slightly while he had his hands buried in his still damp hair. He didn't move a muscle – only silently sat there, making himself smaller than he was.

“There's something I have to tell you,” he started, voice cold and tensed. It confused Itachi to see him like that and for a moment he thought he went too far before. For one with the scene in the alley, and then the light kiss on his forehead. But, truth be told, Itachi hadn't been able to resist back then. It felt like Sai needed a soothing gesture, but was not able to respond to words at the moment. The innocent touch on the forehead seemed appropriate.

But all of Itachi's worries disappeared when Sai gestured to the small table before himself. A simple sketchbook laid there and while glancing confused at him, Itachi picked the thin book up. In the meantime Sai got up and paced up and down the room, like an agitated animal in a cage.

Tossing the pants onto the couch, Itachi used both hands to flip open the sketchbook.

On the mere first page he already counted four sketches of his face, all showing a similar, relaxed expression. The following pages weren't much different – showing him in different scenes, sometimes joy, surprise, worry written across his face.

“What's the meaning of this?” he asked, unsure of how to feel about the sketches. To some degree it was unsettling how open his expressions looked... so easy to read. Itachi hadn't been aware he showed so much of his true intentions while he was in Sai's company.

“Those are portraits I made of you,” Sai confirmed, one hand wrapped around his body while his other laid over his mouth for a moment. Never had Itachi seen him so torn and tensed before. “I made them so I could figure out how you feel. It was a favor I did for Naruto.”

Immediately Itachi tensed up, an unfamiliar coldness spreading in his chest. “What?” he asked, too shocked to put something like emotion into it. Perhaps it was the most indifferent voice he had ever used in his life.

Sai clenched the hand on his face into a fist and rested his forehead against it. “Since I saw you so often because of the drawings I make for you, Naruto asked me to find out how you feel about him so he could make you forgive whatever he did wrong. And I agreed, because Naruto is my best friend.”

Every single word sliced right through Itachi like a sharp, painful knife. 

“I suck at socializing with people and I didn't know you, so I came up with the idea to sketch your faces in different situations. You were a stranger to me, so I had no problems passing the sketches to Naruto if I managed to make something he could work with.”

Suddenly Itachi felt dizzy. Naruto had seen those? Those open, emotional faces of him? Itachi hadn't even seen the entire sketchbook yet. He stared down at the item, his thumbs still brushing the white paper with the pencil drawings on it. What else was in there? Where there portraits of their evening at the bar, too?

He let the sketchbook go in an instant, like he had burned his fingers on it. And, to some degree, Itachi had.

“I,” He tried to swallow, a knot on his throat making it hard to breathe. “I  _ trusted _ you,” he spat once the anger finally broke the surface of his ocean of raging emotions. He clenched his hands so hard it hurt and his eyes narrowed down at Sai, hatred reflecting in them. “I trusted you and you betray me like this!”

All of a sudden everything made sense. Every fucking word he had spoken with Sasuke recently, along with his haunted, worried looks. Everything clicked so perfectly into place Itachi felt like he was in the middle of a sick, cruel joke.

“You can't fathom how sorry I am, Itachi,” Sai whispered, his eyes finally meeting his. They were full of despair and grief, his entire face grimacing like he was in physical pain. “But when I learned more about you, everything changed. You were not a stranger anymore and with every sketch I made I felt sicker and sicker. I didn't want to do this anymore. You are too important to me to keep this up.” He made a step forward, narrowing the space between them.

Instantly Itachi took a matching step back, the unbearable hurt and burning fury roaring in his insides.. He wanted to beat him to death for what he had done to him, making him regret every fucking line he made with his pencil, but on the other hand he wanted nothing more than run out and away without ever turning back.

“I wanted to keep lying to you and say I'd be busy with the exhibition for the next few weeks. But in truth, I planned to tell Naruto I wouldn't observe you for him anymore and take some time to make myself forget I ever did that to you to begin with. I wanted to do that to protect our friendship since I knew you could never forgive me.” Sai brought his hands up and rested his fingers against the sides of his nose, drawing in a deep breath.

“Why are you telling me all this?!” Itachi growled, his hands beginning to cramp. “Why did you suddenly change your mind and confessed?! Can you even  _ imagine  _ how I feel right now?!!” 

Ideas and thoughts melted together to a blurred mass. For one he thought how he could ruin Sai’s career and break him beyond repair, next he wondered where he could toss all the paintings and burn them most efficiently, and then again Itachi tried to desperately remember where his keys were. 

Sai shook his head, his eyes closing. “After what you did for me today, I didn't want to keep lying to you. I wanted you to know the entire, horrible truth because you deserve better than a dirty friend like me. I'd rather have you hate me for the rest of your life instead of looking at me with that gentleness in your eyes.” His eyelids twitched, as if he fought the urge to reopen them. “By tricking you, I lost the right to see everything in that sketchbook and what else I could have drawn into it.”

Sai's eyes pressed shut harder when he heard the noise of Itachi approaching quickly. He wondered if his punch would hurt more than Deidara's. Actually, he hoped it did. Maybe actual physical pain would blank out the agony he felt in his soul. With every confession he made, he had become more and more aware of the importance Itachi had in his present life and regretted to have ever agreed to Naruto's plan to begin with.

Itachi's hands finally reached him and roughly pushed him backwards. Sai still kept his eyes closed, unwilling to see the angry grimace on the soft features. The few gentle expressions he had seen on Itachi should remain pure and untainted in his mind, precious memories he'd keep dear to himself for as long as he could.

His back hit the wall and he gasped softly at the impact, his arms being forced against the cool concrete on his sides.

And then, he felt lips pressing over his.

There were many things Itachi wanted to do and felt, but he only had the force to give in to a single need.

His body had moved on its own, his feet bringing him quickly closer to Sai. Next his hands closed so tightly around his arms it would leave bruises, but not a noise of complained reached his ears the entire time.

The next thing he knew was Sai's submissive, guilty expression had snapped something inside him, his entire being aching with unbearable desire. He wanted to claim the betrayer pressed between his own body and the wall like nothing else, the actual reason for the unreasonable lust unknown to him. Maybe he felt so drawn to Sai because he felt so truly sorry for what he did? As if everything he cared about was Itachi, and Itachi alone, and the mere thought of somehow hurting who meant so much to him caused a form of physical pain. 

To be cared for…  _ loved  _ so much by somebody else was an entirely new experience to Itachi. He was quick to give his own love and care to others, like he did for almost all his life with Sasuke. But to be on the receiving end - that was new and equally overwhelming. And he wanted to discover how deep the feelings ran, how far he could go.

The way he kissed Sai was violent, yet full of want. Not to hurt the body, but more for pleasing and get pleasure from it in response. Itachi desired him like nothing before in his life, despite the fact his chest still hurt with the harsh betrayal he had faced moments prior, but the pain slightly soothing at the awareness how much Sai suffered from it himself.

When they parted Sai leaned his head back, his heart hammering fast in his chest while he felt Itachi's soft lips on the side of his neck. His own ones slightly hurt, mostly because of the cut he got earlier. He felt a hand run up the side of his body, all the way to the right part of his head and gently forcing it to the side, giving Itachi more room when his neck got further exposed.

God, he loved it. His skin tingled where Itachi touched, his body calling out for more than he could ever hope for. And though everything inside him wanted it to continue, Sai lifted his free hand and laid it over Itachi's chest. The raging heartbeat beneath sent vibrations into his fingers.

“Don't,” he gasped out, only the guilt giving him enough strength to speak. “This is wrong... after what I did, I don't-”

Itachi placed his fingers gently over his lips while he hushed him softly. “I don't know if I can ever forgive you,” Itachi confessed as he pulled away, his eyes finally meeting Sai's. “But what I know is that I want this. That I  _ need _ this now.” He ran his thumb over Sai's bottom lip before sealing them again in a tender kiss. “What we deserve doesn't matter at the moment,” he whispered, their faces still so close their foreheads came into contact. “For an instant, we should simply give in to what we want instead.”

“Are you sure about this?” Sai murmured, his eyes searching his for a sign of affirmation.

“No,” Itachi replied before kissing him quickly.

“And the consequences?” Sai gasped as his fingers dug into the skin of Itachi’s naked chest.

“Unknown,” Itachi responded while he intertwined the fingers of their other hands.

“Then we might as well move to the bedroom,” Sai whispered before pressing his face into the space between Itachi's neck and shoulder.

“Let's go.”


	10. True Colors

They moved through the small apartment so fast they arrived in the bedroom within instants. Itachi's towel had slipped off somewhere on the way, but it wasn't like either of them minded it. Only trivial lust drove their actions and, for a moment, everything before and after it turned meaningless. From Itachi's pain to Sai's betrayal – everything blacked out, leaving only the fleeting present.

His hands were demanding when Itachi tugged on the clothes left on Sai's body. Due to the wetness from the rain they stuck uncomfortably against his heated skin. And truth be told, Itachi was running out of patience. He was inclined to simply tear it off, but thankfully Sai got eventually rid of it without damaging them.

As soon as the last piece was carelessly tossed away they were back on each others' bodies. Once everything was forgotten, raw desire dominated their every action.

Itachi was leaving dark marks on his neck area while Sai blindly felt around for the small drawer hanging on the wall behind them. So pressed down against the mattress he had problems at first, but eventually found the small makeshift nightstand and pulled the drawer completely out, the items from inside it falling on the bed next to them.

“Give me a bit of space,” Sai requested, his hand rest against Itachi’s hot chest. The skin burned under his touch, yet it felt so soft he could stroke it up and down for hours. With a bit of space between them Sai could easily sit up enough to grab a small bottle of lube and a condom. Panting hard, he handed the bottle over to Itachi. “This is for you,” he said, his chest rising and falling quickly. “And this is for me,” he added while grabbing the condom tightly with one hand.

At first Itachi glared down at him, his expression making clear how he felt of the situation. It made Sai chuckle lightly, his head leaning forward for a short but deep kiss. Next he moved away from beneath Itachi, gently pushing him against the mattress before he sat down on his stomach, facing away from him.

“Tease,” Itachi chuckled once his cloudy mind picked up the developments. He shook the bottle for a moment before undoing the cap, coating his fingers with the clear, cool substance before he moved them to Sai's entrance.

“This shows me you like it,” Sai grunted while he gave Itachi's cock a firm stroke. He quickly undid the condom and pulled it over the erection close to his face, his eyes half closed while he stared at the hard flesh. Once the latex fully covered him, Sai leaned in and took the head into his mouth, humming at the pulsing warmth.

Groaning Itachi sat briefly up, managing to steady himself along with the extra weight with one arm while his fingers pushed into Sai's heat. He didn't waste time figuring out the texture; he was far too gone to savor such small details. Perhaps he could, one day, if there was a future with the two of them together. For now though he pushed everything away, focusing on the sight of his digits disappearing in the body he desired so much while he felt the teasing, slick tongue and hot mouth on his cock.

Soon Sai was rolling back against his fingers, his own erection smearing its juices across Itachi's belly. Their bodies moved together in an individual yet rhythmical way, rubbing one another on all the right spots.

At that rate, none of them would last long.

Pulling his fingers away, Itachi slid his body out from underneath Sai’s before he pressed down on top of him. His weight trapped Sai between the sheets and his frame, making it impossible for him to get away while he laid on his stomach.

“This working for you?” Itachi asked while he rocked against the body under his.

Sai only nodded while biting back a moan. As aroused as he was, he couldn't look Itachi in the eye when they were like that – not yet. Someday, maybe, but not that night. His ego forced him to earn the right to look at Itachi's sexy face; make up for his mistakes had to come first.

Though he didn't speak the words aloud, Itachi could yet understand him and gave in to the wish. His one hand found Sai's while he used his other to guide his cock, his body lifting up to his knees to allow a bit of movement. He groaned when he forced his way inside while he sucked in Sai's heated noises, watching as he pressed his face into the mattress while his hands clenched on the fabric of the sheets.

Slowly they began moving, their rocks sensual and controlled, both savoring the feel of another body. Their pace picked up to some degree, Itachi thrusting down while Sai moved back against him, both keeping their eyes closed. At some point Itachi however sat up, easily pulling Sai along until they were both kneeling on the mattress, their bodies still connected.

“I'm close,” Sai whispered after licking his painfully dry lips though his body was ridiculously sweaty. In fact, the patch had slipped off his face already, laying either somewhere on the bed or on the floor. His spread thighs trembled, even when he was sitting in Itachi's lap and didn't have to hold himself up.

“Me, too.” Itachi gently kissed his ear before moving again, his breath a tickling pant. One of his arms laid around Sai's upper body, pulling him close against his chest while he thrust deeper into the body. His free hand groped the inner of Sai's thigh, settling for stroking his cock in times with his own movements, driving more of the soft noises from him.

Sai was still panting, his mouth remaining open while he lifted his arms and reached behind himself. He ran his fingers into Itachi's long, soft hair and tugged with every deeper thrust, his head falling back against Itachi's shoulder, the heavy breathing so loud in his ear.

Just a little Sai opened his eyes, looking up at the ceiling while he felt tension build in his body. It was only a matter of seconds now.

Though he had sworn not to, he couldn't resist the urge to tilt his head a little and look at Itachi when he was close to his climax. Oddly enough Itachi turned his head as well, their noses brushing when they stared at each other for a moment.

It felt natural, and so they leaned closer and kissed gently when they came. Sai tensed up the moment he tumbled over the edge, his fingers tugging harder at Itachi's hair when he followed suit. Their bodies were still quivering with the aftershocks when Itachi gave in and leaned backwards, his sweaty back against the wall while he supported them both. Once in a while they kissed again, lips barely brushing for a second only for repeating the motion a moment later. The affection was so obvious between them it felt like a dream to Sai; he couldn't believe he'd be able to experience such tenderness after the horrible betrayal he committed.

After one last kiss Itachi gathered his forces and pulled out. Carefully he laid Sai down on the mattress before he climbed to the edge of the bed, looking down at himself as he sat there. The condom, smeared with their juices, was still around him while his hand was coated with Sai's semen. Now that it was over, the thoughts crawled back into his head, but he was too drained to act or make up his mind.

After he pulled off the latex, he reached for Sai's shirt and wiped himself remotely clean with it. He had no drive to make it to the bathroom and assumed Sai didn't feel much different.

Looking briefly back over his shoulder, Itachi tossed the dirty shirt to him and watched as Sai cleaned himself with the rough material. After a while he knotted the condom and looked for a trashcan, an odd smell suddenly lingering in the air. Almost like… 

“Vanilla…?” Itachi murmured, more to himself than anyone, when he sniffed at his fingers.

“I like the taste,” Sai replied out of the blue. When Itachi tilted his head around he saw he was still cleaning up, though his cheeks had briefly darkened in something else than arousal. 

Now that he thought about it, it suddenly made sense how Sai ended up blowing him so leisurely despite the latex. Not that Itachi expected any oral service - after all, they knew nothing of each other’s sexual activeness - but he guessed it was alright if the condom was flavored.    


“What now?” Sai asked once he was clean. Pulled out of his thoughts Itachi looked at him, seeing he sat up against the headboard. 

“No idea,” Itachi lowly but truthfully responded. With a sigh he ranked a hand through his hair, wondering how he ended up in such a messy situation. “Maybe we should get drunk. Numbing down the thoughts for a moment longer.”

“I've got no booze here.” Sai pulled one leg close, enough to rest his head on top of his knee.

Itachi turned his head forward again, heaving a sigh. He knew he couldn't run from the decisions he had to make much longer. Though he had no idea in which direction he should go now – torn between hurt and pleasure. Perhaps it would have been better if he ran outside instead of sleeping with Sai. It felt like it made everything only more awkward between them. 

A hand touched his shoulder, tentatively and unsure. “I understand you'd want to leave, but I'd be happy if you spent the night here,” Sai whispered and Itachi was thankful he didn't have to look at his face.

“With the storm outside, I'm inclined to take the offer.” It was enough of an excuse for Itachi. The fact that he  _ didn't _ want to leave it all would remain his little secret until he properly figured out how to move on.

Eventually he climbed back into the bed, laying down on his side so that he would face Sai. Itachi was tired, drained from the day and its quick events; it wouldn’t take long before sleep would claim him. Maybe he would be able to think clearer once the morning came.

While he laid there he couldn't help a somewhat desperate chuckle though. Suddenly he felt very understanding for Sasuke, why he so openly accepted the risk of ending up hurt. Against his better judgement Itachi felt of himself being in a strangely similar situation.

Though Sai had shattered his trust and hurt him deeply, he couldn't ignore his more romantic feelings for him.

“What's so funny?” Sai asked when he laid down his well, his face close to Itachi's and their legs gently touching under the blanket.

“Just realized Uchiha are apparently very attracted to morons,” Itachi replied with a sigh, “Big, clumsy morons, that is.”

Sai chuckled as well, his hand grasping Itachi's and bringing it up close to his face, his lips placing a gentle kiss on it's back. “I'll prove myself worthy of your affection.” The promise may come out quickly, but Sai made up his mind. He may be addressed as a moron, but he wasn't foolish; he knew how delicate their bond had become and how much time and work it would take to gain Itachi's trust back. But, in order to see the passionate, warm flame shine like it used to, Sai was willing to take any trial the future had in store for him.

“Yeah, do that,” Itachi sighed, his body relaxing against the gentle caresses. Sai could only imagine how tired he must be - beside the sex, he also had quite the workout in the alley and the emotional rollercoaster took its own toll as well. There were so many new facets Itachi showed of himself, new colors added to the already rich pallet. 

While sleep tugged on him, Sai suddenly knew what color he would add on the large drawing:

Crimson red.

Now that he thought about it, the black lines may appear like an abstract body, twisted and turned on the white canvas. Sai saw, in his inner eye, how a crimson figure would join the black one, devouring it in a heated dance and claiming it in front of the viewer. Black consumed by crimson; he liked the idea behind it, especially when he thought about the people he associated them with.

Giving in to the tug of tiredness, Sai fell asleep in the comfortable company of Itachi.

 

~*~

 

Earlier that morning, Sai had been torn between the pull of his muse and the wish to keep laying there and watch Itachi sleep. He looked so peaceful and calm, his head laying flat on the mattress since Sai had only one pillow. Unexpectedly Itachi slept like a rock, not even twitching when Sai carefully ran his fingertips over the line of his jaw or stroked some of his raven hair away.

In the end though the muse won – so Sai had got out of bed, again not as much as disturbing Itachi in his deep sleep, and grabbed a pair of boxers before he made his way up to the studio. The fresh air didn't bother him, even when he was mostly naked and he had yet to turn on the heating in the upper floor. His mind was already picturing out the drawing he had seen before his inner eye the evening prior, his entire focus so consumed by the image his body didn’t even notice its discomfort.

Whenever he was embracing his muses, Sai found it hard to tell how much time passed by. For what he knew, anything between a few hours and a couple of minutes was possible. However eventually he made one last line, the plate with the crimson color he mixed in his left hand while he held the brush in his right one, his eyes running all over the canvas.

The drawing had turned out a bit more violent than he had expected. The abstract, crimson figure seemed to consume the black one, the lines not nearly as smooth and clear as the previous ones. A few drops of crimson had flown onto the canvas as well and Sai kind of liked them. It gave the drawing more life and a passionate spirit.

He smiled when he brought his right arm up to wipe his nose, ignoring how the crimson color smeared over a part of his face or the tenderness of his cut lip. Sai could already feel it was a masterpiece. That painting was going to have people stop by and watch it closely, perhaps even realizing its much deeper meaning.

Suddenly arms snaked around his middle, startling Sai so much he jumped and almost dropped his supplies.

Heart hammering in his chest he glanced to his side, sighing when he recognized Itachi's head resting on his shoulder while his eyes narrowed at the canvas. “I like it,” he murmured, his face looking harder than usual thought his voice was smooth. Perhaps that was his morning face, given Sai had never got the chance to see it before. Itachi looked almost grumpy.

“How long have you been here?” Sai asked, enjoying the moment of closeness and the warmth against his back. Only now he realized how chilly the room was. He should get the heat running soon if he wanted the paintings to dry - and to avoid catching a cold. 

“A couple of minutes.” Itachi’s arms tightening a little when he fought back a yawn. “I turned on the washing machine. Hope you don't mind.” He nuzzled Sai's ear, his lips teasing the small space of neck they found exposed.

Sighing Sai leaned harder against him, wondering why he didn't hear the machine running. Then again, he hadn't as much as noticed Itachi sneaking up on him either.

The mouth sucked harder against his neck, the touch caressing and gentle. But it wasn't like the previous night; the passion and drive was tamed or had yet to take over and though Sai felt regret, he had to ask was laid on the tip of his tongue.

“Is this really okay?” he asked and, as he expected, Itachi stopped for a moment.

“It depends on your definition of 'this',” was the vague reply. Sai turned his head away and pulled free, just enough so he could face Itachi.

“The way you touch me so tenderly regardless of what I did to you.” His mouth went dry at his own words. “Can you really forgive it, Itachi? Everything I did?”

Itachi stared at him for a moment, his expression thoughtful. “I don't know yet,” he answered and though it hurt, badly, Sai was grateful for his honesty. “But it's funny,” Itachi added with a chuckle, “It seems I don't need to forgive you for feeling this way.” He reached out, his hand laying flat over Sai's naked chest. His palm was so warm and soft while it rested there...

It took Sai a lot of effort to not get lost in the warmth. “I don't want you to see this as a way to talk myself out of it. I'll bear full responsibility for what I did.” His voice tensed and serious as he spoke, tongue coming out to swipe over his lips. “The evening at the bar-” He stopped for a moment, watching as Itachi tensed up slightly. “I kept my promise. I haven't spoken about it ever since and I also didn't make sketches of you from then.” 

Sai slowly breathed in and out, a weak attempt to keep himself calm.

“I thought you needed to know that,” he added, his shoulders feeling a bit lighter at his confession.

“Thank you,” Itachi replied and when he looked up, Sai was met with the same gentle, understanding smile he grew loving so much and feared to never see again. “I'm still angry and disappointed though. You’re not off the hook yet.” Suddenly Itachi chuckled with a tilt of his head. “Damn. I never got why he said that until now...” he murmured under his breath.

“Come again?” Sai asked a little confused.

“Never mind,” Itachi chuckled. His face was bright with amusement while he glanced Sai up and down briefly. “You've got paint all over you. Even on your cheek.”

Sai merely shrugged and earned himself another chuckle. “I had the idea to finish it since last night. I didn't have the patience to dress accordingly.” Finally he moved towards the small table next to the canvas and put his items down on top of it.

“I hear you there. Muses can be cruel once they have you in their grasp,” Itachi said while he followed Sai, though he left a bit of space.

Sai looked back at him, his eyes trailing down Itachi's body. He wore the pants he prepared for him the previous night and though it was a tight fit the rubber band on the waist was so worn the cloth slid off his hips. It didn't show everything, but it was clear he wore no underwear.

“I don't mind the embrace of  _ that _ particular muse,” Sai said, his cheeks turning hot when he realized he had actually spoke out loud.

Itachi crossed his arms before his naked chest, a playful smirk tugging on the corner of his lip. “Is that so?” Sai couldn't recall ever having felt so incredibly embarrassed… He almost lifted his hands to cover his face in shame. “It seems like you're trying to flirt with me.” 

At the last comment, Sai wondered if his face got the shade of the crimson already. 

“Sorry,” he murmured, wondering if it would seem awkward if he said he'd go shower. Though, more than awkward it was rather rude, considering Itachi was his guest and possibly more. Leaving him in the studio without much of a way to entertain himself was out of the question.

Before he could make his mind up, Itachi pulled him in a tight embrace, his long fingers tracing up Sai's back. “Don't think about it. It's... endearing,” Itachi softly told before he sealed their lips in a kiss. Their heads moved together, curious tongues tasting and exploring new areas. The previous night they had been in a rush, failing to properly value what they had.

  
  


 

But now, they had all the time they wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> Double update! Yay :D!   
> And sex! Double yay :D :D! 
> 
> Finally I came around to finish it. The end is left open, though there is a tendency there may be a future with them. 
> 
> When Itachi said "I never got why he said that", he was referring to Sasuke.   
> There are some similarities to Sasuke's and Naruto's relationship in this story, but overall its way less messed up and mature. Or at least, I tried to picture it that way. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the ride. 
> 
> Regards,  
> -T


End file.
